Canada is headed in the wrong direction, majority says

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
83
Canada is headed in the wrong direction, majority says in poll

Support for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government is dropping sharply, according to a new poll showing a majority of Canadians believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

The Nanos Research poll also shows 56 per cent of people rate the government’s 2013 performance as “somewhat poor” or “very poor,” a far higher share than the poll had found in earlier years. In particular, 44 per cent of respondents in the Prairies said the government’s 2013 performance was “very poor,” signalling unrest in the Harper Conservatives’ backyard.

The figures come from the annual “Mood of Canada” poll, conducted by Nanos and the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) and released Monday. The results are bleak for a government that has spent months coping with the fallout of the Senate spending scandal, which has triggered an RCMP investigation and raised questions about the conduct of those in Mr. Harper’s own office.

The Senate scandal differs from previous controversies in that it directly implicates the Prime Minister, who has been tasked with personally defending his handling of the issue, pollster Nik Nanos said.

“There was always a bit of a buffer. This year was the first year where the Prime Minister was very closely associated with the controversy, specifically the Senate controversy,” he said. “… I think we can now mark 2013 as the year that Stephen Harper’s personal brand took a hit.”

In the Mood of Canada survey’s seven-year history, this year’s results set new lows for the government: 55 per cent said Canada is headed in the “wrong direction,” while the poll had never shown that figure to be higher than 38 per cent. Another 38 per cent said government had a “very poor” year, more than double what the poll had ever shown. And 45 per cent said Canada’s reputation was “not improved” internationally this year; 8 per cent said the same a year ago.

The Senate scandal “has had a significant spillover effect in how people are viewing the government writ-large,” Mr. Nanos said.

Canada is headed in the wrong direction, majority says in poll - The Globe and Mail
 

Walter

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 28, 2007
34,843
92
48
Why don't the pollsters ever ask, "In what direction would you like the country to go?"
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
Canada is headed in the wrong direction, majority says in poll

Support for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government is dropping sharply, according to a new poll showing a majority of Canadians believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

The Nanos Research poll also shows 56 per cent of people rate the government’s 2013 performance as “somewhat poor” or “very poor,” a far higher share than the poll had found in earlier years. In particular, 44 per cent of respondents in the Prairies said the government’s 2013 performance was “very poor,” signalling unrest in the Harper Conservatives’ backyard.

The figures come from the annual “Mood of Canada” poll, conducted by Nanos and the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) and released Monday. The results are bleak for a government that has spent months coping with the fallout of the Senate spending scandal, which has triggered an RCMP investigation and raised questions about the conduct of those in Mr. Harper’s own office.

The Senate scandal differs from previous controversies in that it directly implicates the Prime Minister, who has been tasked with personally defending his handling of the issue, pollster Nik Nanos said.

“There was always a bit of a buffer. This year was the first year where the Prime Minister was very closely associated with the controversy, specifically the Senate controversy,” he said. “… I think we can now mark 2013 as the year that Stephen Harper’s personal brand took a hit.”

In the Mood of Canada survey’s seven-year history, this year’s results set new lows for the government: 55 per cent said Canada is headed in the “wrong direction,” while the poll had never shown that figure to be higher than 38 per cent. Another 38 per cent said government had a “very poor” year, more than double what the poll had ever shown. And 45 per cent said Canada’s reputation was “not improved” internationally this year; 8 per cent said the same a year ago.

The Senate scandal “has had a significant spillover effect in how people are viewing the government writ-large,” Mr. Nanos said.

Canada is headed in the wrong direction, majority says in poll - The Globe and Mail


Not really surprising, Mr. Harper refuses to get rid of the drones and parasites known as the Senate (who are supposed to be the conscience of Parliament). Actually disgusting individuals!
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
4,336
113
Vancouver Island
All depends on how the questions are worded and where the polling is done.As in who is paying for the poll. Most people I talk to are fairly happy with the general direction the government is going although Harper generally rates lower than the government.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
61
48
Ottawa, ON
Not really surprising, Mr. Harper refuses to get rid of the drones and parasites known as the Senate (who are supposed to be the conscience of Parliament). Actually disgusting individuals!

To be fair to Harper, he has limited power to reform it or cancel it.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
4,336
113
Vancouver Island
To be fair to Harper, he has limited power to reform it or cancel it.

But he said he would so the sheeple that know nothing of how government actually works think he can just snap his fingers and presto all the wrongs in the country are righted.
 

Zipperfish

House Member
Apr 12, 2013
3,688
0
36
Vancouver
I didn't even know we were going in a direction. Seems a rather unfocussed government right now. That's what happens when politics trumps policy. Every incident is exploited for maximum political gain, but there is no thread holding it together.

I don't think it's like the US right now though. They are in a much more volatile situation.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
17,135
33
48
The problem is, how does one heal a corrupt system which functions and oils itself and grows and prospers on greed, malice, and avarice and screwing the little guy while at the same time convincing the little guy, he is not the little guy?

This is not a Harper problem, it is a systemic problem. Of course people aren't happy with where the government is headed...it's heading to hell because now the disease has been exposed...how do we fix it? Where are all the good doctors when ya need them?
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
17,878
61
48
Ottawa, ON
For sure anyone in the Senate is happy with the current situation.

Sorry, I was referring to polls. Two people might dislike the current situation, but want ot go in opposite directions. One might say, democratize it. Another might say disband it, Another might say transform it some other way. So telling the pollster you're not happy with the current situation does not say much. Wally is right, asking where we want to go rather than with whether we're happy with ehere we are is far more useful.
 

Retired_Can_Soldier

The End of the Dog is Coming!
Mar 19, 2006
11,285
480
83
59
Alberta
Not really surprising, Mr. Harper refuses to get rid of the drones and parasites known as the Senate (who are supposed to be the conscience of Parliament). Actually disgusting individuals!

Mr. Harper is refusing? How about Ottawa is refusing. There are plenty of politicians who beat the reform or abolish drum until they actually get into government. The truth is that we would have to completely revamp how parliament works if we wanted to abolish the senate. Doing so would cost a ton of dough, much more than Duffy's scandal. You find me a politician that will actually tackle that problem and I'll vote for him or her. But the fact is you won't.
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
192
63
Nakusp, BC
Harpo is taking Canada in the direction of being a province in a corporate run world government, just like every other leader of their country today. He has no choice but to obey the masters if he wants to keep his head on his shoulders.