Month: January 2009

Rally for Canada budget consultation survey results

On Friday, I sent out an email to the tens of thousands on the Rally for Canada email list asking them to participate in a small survey concerning the upcoming federal budget.  I asked people four questions concerning the government spending and their public policy priorities.  Over three thousand people responded on Friday and over the weekend.  I will be passing on the results to the office of the Minister of Finance as promised.

Q: On the question of Canada’s upcoming federal budget to get us through the economic crisis, which balance within the following options do you think is best for the government to implement? (n=3003)

Q: Which issues are most important to you from a government policy point of view? (n=3051)

Here is the same graph sorted in descending order (n=3051):

Q: What should be done with the Senate? (n=3007)

Q: What should be done with funding for the CBC? (n=2998)

Some notes: “n” is the number of respondents to each question.  Data was gathered from 8am Friday through midnight Sunday night.  Sample data is gathered from a population set that registered on the anti-coalition website RallyforCanada.ca between December 4th 2008 and January 9th 2009.  Answers were not randomly cycled.

That said, this data gives us insight into the priorities of Canadians who are against the concept of a Bloc-supported NDP-Liberal coalition government.  The first question was a careful balance on both sides of the spending vs. taxes debate.  On one hand, the answer set does not include an option to decrease spending and on the other, four out of five answers prompt at least some tax relief.  Most analysts believe that the federal budget will include some tax relief and stimulus in the form of government spending.  The largest group believed a balance spending/tax relief approach would be best while the second largest group favours substantial tax relief and no new spending (given the options presented).

The second question had 24 options.  Each option was a yes/no checkbox to pick public policy priorities.  There was little surprise on the distribution of public policy interests as the generally right-of-centre respondents selected jobs, economy, crime, tax cuts, healthcare choice, and military spending as priorities while passing on foreign aid, culture and arts, and native affairs.  Wheat board reform is generally a conservative priority yet this question is likely too regional for a national survey.

On the specific questions, it is of particular interest that 90% of respondents believe that the Senate in it’s current form must change.  Only 10% of respondents thought that the Senate ought to be left as it is.  On the question of spending for a particular budget item, respondents indicated that funding for the CBC should be decreased (61%) while only 6% thought it should be increased.

Congratulations to Canada’s Juniors

Last night, before a record crowd in Kanata, Canada’s world junior team won the gold against Sweden in a game that ended 5-1 but remained competitive until the final period with two runaway goals in the closing minutes.

Earlier, the tournament hosted one of the best games I’d seen in my life as Canada scratched back a 3-0 deficit against the US to score the next four goals and even two empty netters at the end to win 7-4.  The other game which saved Canada was against Russia where our country bested theirs scoring the tying goal in the dying seconds of the third period followed by a shootout win after a gripping though scoreless overtime.

The games always capture the attention of hockey fans looking to do their own scouting of the sport, identifying future prospects and looking for surprise heroes.  Canada’s Angelo Esposito – to name one such example – played the tournament with heart.  The junior from Woodbridge Ontario scored the game winning goal yesterday and delivered night after night despite having been cut from the team for three years consecutive prior to this opportunity.   Or take Dustin Tokarski, team Canada’s goalie and game MVP in the gold medal match, the kid was nowhere near the top of any scout’s list before the start of this tournament.  For an event that showcases upcoming talent for Canada’s national game, this tournament didn’t disappoint.

Hockey games usually provide photo-ops for Canadian politicians to awkwardly rub shoulders with “every day” Canadians and pretend to show interest in the game that the rest of us plebs know and love.  However Stephen Harper, a man with an interest that could be described as a genuine but fanatical love of the game (maintained by his trademark calm) was there not only for the gold medal game, but most of team Canada’s games during the entire tournament.  As for photo-ops, our country’s leader looked at ease with a shirt-less gold-painted-with-Canada-logo-on-chest superfan as he gave thumbs up for a fan photo.   The Prime Minister also took the opportunity of hanging out with the team before games in the dressing room.  One reporter explained to me that usually such a moment would have racked the nerves of a team.  However, for a man at ease in this element, wearing a leather jacket and jeans, having laced skates, taped sticks and socks many times before, the PM was just another hockey dad.

Michael Ignatieff was also in attendance but only for the gold medal game.  The Liberal leader and grandson of a a Russian tsarist minister took a break from writing a book on his family history long enough to recognize the tournament and descend to mingle with the masses.  Ignatieff had a rare chance of witnessing a Canadian hockey victory while living in Canada – the distinguished academic has been largely abroad since the late 60s.  A friend joked that Ignatieff told TSN, “I am a fan of the game of hockey, but not necessarily a hockey fan.” For the two men, Harper and Ignatieff, hockey underscores a vital political strength or weakness.  For the Prime Minister, voters select someone they see in themselves and they pick someone who understands and shares their concerns.  For Ignatieff, voters will sever him if he cannot genuinely tie himself with the threads that line our hearts.

We’re a nation bound by our love of hockey.