CBC News, July 16, 2009
A slim majority of Canadians oppose Canada’s participation in the ongoing war in Afghanistan, with the strongest opposition coming from Quebec, an EKOS poll suggests.
The poll, commissioned for CBC and released Thursday, asked: “Do you support or oppose Canadian military participation in Afghanistan?”
Nationally, 54 per cent said they opposed it, while 34 per cent said they supported it, according to the poll. Twelve per cent were undecided.
Opposition was decisive in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, while Western Canada had a narrower gap between those who support the mission and those who oppose it, EKOS found.
The survey suggests the strongest opposition exists in Quebec, with 73 per cent of those polled saying they didn’t support Canada’s participation. Fifteen per cent offered their support.
Alberta had the strongest support for the mission, at 42 per cent, while 45 per cent were opposed, the poll suggested. In British Columbia, opposition was at 49 per cent while 40 per cent offered support.
The sample size for Saskatchewan/Manitoba was considered too small to be conclusive.