Canadians more likely to support foreign interference inquiry than hearings: Nanos
Canadians are twice as likely to support a formal inquiry into foreign interference, as opposed to public hearings, according to new polling from Nanos Research for CTV News.
Nearly six in 10 Canadians say they prefer the idea of a formal public inquiry headed by a judge with full subpoena powers, according to the survey.
Meanwhile, a quarter of respondents say they would prefer the public hearings option “to shine more light on the problem of foreign interference and the threat it poses.”
Special rapporteur David Johnston has drawn harsh criticism from opposition leaders and MPs over the conclusions of his recently released report, which recommended “a series of public hearings with Canadians,” as opposed to the inquiry many had been calling for.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet have repeatedly defended the former governor general’s decision, while Johnston has said much of the information and documents on which he based his report are classified, so a public inquiry would not be public at all.
However, during his testimony before the Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Johnston indicated that should there be certain witnesses at his public hearings, for example intelligence officials or members of the public who fear the implications of speaking out, and he’s prepared to hear testimony in-camera.
Johnston himself has also drawn criticism, namely for his personal relationship with the prime minister, and for his previous membership with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, which has been at the centre of its own foreign interference allegations.
But the Nanos numbers show more than a third — 38 per cent — of Canadians believe Johnston is “credible” on foreign interference, versus 30 per cent who do not believe he is credible on the issue.
The polling also shows 46 per cent of Canadians believe the prime minister is not credible on the topic, compared to 26 per cent who believe he is. This, while 48 per cent of respondents said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is not credible, and 26 per cent said he is.
The views are split on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s credibility on foreign interference: 32 per cent of respondents said he is credible, versus 31 per cent who said he is not.
The comparison between the prime minister and the leader of the Official Opposition comes as recent numbers show Poilievre has surpassed Trudeau when it comes to preferred prime minister.
STRONG SUPPORT FOR FOREIGN REGISTRY
According to the polling, there is also “very strong support” — with about nine in 10 respondents showing either “support” or “somewhat support” — for a foreign agent registry, an online searchable database of agents working for foreign governments.
The federal government has recently wrapped up its consultations on the possibility of creating such a registry — similar to those in Australia and the United States — but Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino hasn’t given a timeline on when one could be implemented.
The vast majority of the poll’s respondents, about 86 per cent, also said a criminal charge and jail time is “the most appropriate punishment for those found guilty of foreign interference in Canada.”
Fewer than one in 10 said a fine and a warning would be most appropriate, or were unsure about what the punishment should be.
Most respondents also said foreign interference is a threat to democracy, mirroring results from an earlier poll done by Nanos Research in March.
Concerns around foreign interference began to stack up in February, sparked by reporting from The Globe and Mail and Global News, largely citing unnamed intelligence sources and leaked documents. The controversy has continued to play out on Parliament Hill in the months since.
According to the Nanos survey, nearly six in 10 Canadians say it is either not acceptable or somewhat not acceptable for civil servants to leak sensitive security information about foreign interference to news outlets.
In March, the RCMP said it had launched an investigation into the leaks, specifically into violations of the Security and Information Act which outlines both the expectations around federal government employees’ legal obligations for protecting classified operational information, and the punishment for committing offences such as unauthorized disclosure of such information.
Methodology:
Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land-and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,096 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between May 31st to June 3rd, 2023 as part of an omnibus survey. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
This study was commissioned by CTV News and The Globe and Mail and the research was conducted by Nanos Research.
With files from CTVNews.ca Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lawyers allege foreign interference in high-profile Canadian mafia deportation case
Lawyers for an alleged high-ranking member of the Italian Mafia in Toronto claim evidence is being used against him that is the product of foreign interference by Italian police.
The Royal Canadian Legion turns to Amazon for annual poppy campaign boost
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans' fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Should Toronto tear up its bike lanes to improve traffic flow? Critics say it's not so simple
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
Canada's response to Trump deportation plan a key focus of revived cabinet committee
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's promise to launch a mass deportation of millions of undocumented people has the Canadian government looking at its own border.
Who should lead the Liberals? 'None of the above,' poll finds
As questions loom over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership, a new Nanos Research poll commissioned for CTV News says a quarter of Canadians say none of the potential candidates appeal to them.
Here's what this year's Starbucks holiday cups look like
The holidays officially begin this week — at least at Starbucks — when the coffee chain rolls out its annual seasonal cups.
Super giant TVs are flying off store shelves
Televisions that measure 97 inches (and more) diagonally across – a.k.a. XXL TVs – are becoming a huge hit as the cost of giant screens sinks sharply, and viewers look to replace the screens they bought during the peak of the pandemic a few years ago.
New technology solves mystery of late First World War soldier's flower sent home to Canada
In 1916, Harold Wrong plucked a flower from the fields of Somme, France and tucked it into a letter he mailed home to Toronto. For decades, the type of flower sent remained a mystery.
U.S. election maps: How did 2024 compare to 2020 and 2016?
Though two states have yet to be officially called, the U.S. election map has mostly been settled. How does it compare with the previous two elections?
Local Spotlight
'There was no stopping this baby from coming': Woman gives birth while on board N.L. ferry
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
B.C. man discovers 115 stuffed animals hidden behind wall, begins donating them to people around world
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
'We put love into it': Group of N.S. women gather to make quilts for those in need
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
Vancouver musician lands 'meaningful interaction' with Ed Sheeran after busking outside his show
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
10K hand-knit poppies displayed at the Dartmouth Cenotaph
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
'I put my whole life on hold': B.C. man embarks on Arctic to Antarctica trek
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.
Windsor teen's shredded pepperoni pizza post goes viral
A Windsor teen’s social media post showing off a distinctive Windsor pizza topping has gone viral, drawing millions of views worldwide and sparking new curiosity about Windsor-style pizza.
'You look like me': 7-year-old who went viral for his Auston Matthews Halloween costume meets Leafs star
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
'You never know what you're going to find': Halifax junk remover shares some of his company's strangest discoveries
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company’s strangest discoveries.