TORONTO, April 25, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – When asked to consider Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent use of the term “God Bless Canada” at the end of all his speeches, the majority of Canadians (65%) indicate they feel this is “acceptable and he should keep doing it”. But one in four (26%) feel that this is “unacceptable and he should stop doing it”. According to a new Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of CanWest News Service/Global News.
Those who reside in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (75%) and Alberta (74%) are the most likely to find Mr. Harper’s use of “God Bless Canada” acceptable; while residents of Quebec are the most likely to find this term unacceptable. However, even in Quebec, a majority (55%) support it, while 36% oppose it.
Canadians who live in urban areas are more likely to find the Prime Minster’s use of the blessing unacceptable (28% vs. 20% among those who live in rural areas).
These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted from April 18th to April 20th, 2006. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1000 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled.