Politicians Be Forewarned…

Canadians were asked to indicate how their support for a competent politician might change if they heard that the politician engaged in certain activities/lifestyles. For the most part, Canadians would not be more likely to support a candidate who engaged in any of the activities/lifestyles tested (less than 4% nationally indicating an increase in support).

Mortal Sins -- Thou shall not falsify your resume, commit a minor fraud or reveal that you have a drinking problem

The study reveals that an overwhelming majority of Canadians would be less likely to support a candidate who has falsified their resume (89%), has been found guilty of a minor fraud -- for instance, they have made improper claims on their expense forms (85%) or has a known drinking problem (83%).

Albertans are the hardest on politicians. They express the strongest disapproval for these behaviours (96% would be less likely to vote for someone who falsified their resume, 87% would be less likely to vote for someone with a drinking problem and 90% would be less likely to vote for someone found guilty of a minor fraud).

Conversely, those in British Columbia are the most forgiving of a politician who has been found guilty of a minor fraud (it would not impact 15% of voters). Quebecers are the least affected by learning that a competent politician has a drinking problem (21% indicate "no impact" on their voting behaviour) or that a politician has falsified their resume (15% indicate "no impact" on their voting behaviour).

Falsifying One's Resume

Albertans (96%) are followed by Atlantic Canadians (93%) in their propensity to decline support from a candidate who has falsified their resume. In addition, 97% of those who have not completed high school indicate that they would be less likely to support a candidate who has falsified their resume.

Minor Fraud -- i.e., Making Improper Claims on Expense Account

As indicated above, a politician will lose the most support in Alberta (90%) if it were uncovered that the candidate was guilty of a minor fraud. In addition, Canadians over 55 (87%), those with household incomes between $25,000 and $55,000 (87%) and those who have not completed high school (87%) would deal this candidate the harshest blow as they are the most likely to decline support upon hearing of the fraud.

Drinking Problem

In addition to Albertans, among whom 87% would decline their support should they learn that a competent politician has a drinking problem, the socio-demographic groups where a politician would lose the most support include, those between 18 and 34 (85%) as well as those over 55 (84%) and women (85%).

Those who are least affected (i.e., they indicate that the information would have no impact on their voting behaviour) include Quebecers (21%), Canadians between 35 and 54 years (17%), men (17%) and those with household incomes below $25,000 (17%).

Venial Sins -- Thou shall not have an extra-marital affair, smoke marijuana, visit a strip club or reveal that you are gay

Although proportionately, the consequences are far less severe, having an extramarital affair, smoking marijuana, visiting a strip club or revealing that you are gay may still cost a politician his or her seat.

Over one third of Canadians would be less likely to support a candidate who has had an extramarital affair (36%) or has smoked marijuana in the last year (36%). Almost one quarter would be less likely to vote for someone who has visited a strip club (23%) and one fifth (21%) would be less likely to support a gay candidate.

Extramarital Affair

Residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba are the most inclined to change their voting behaviour on the basis of whether a candidate has had an extra-marital affair as 52% indicate that would be less likely to support the candidate. They are followed by 45% of Albertans.

62% of Canadians indicate that learning that a politician has had an extramarital affair would not influence their voting. Quebecers are the least likely to change their vote based on this issue as a full three-quarters (75%) indicate that it would have no impact on their voting behaviour.

A politician who has had an extramarital affair will lose more female support than male support as 40% of women indicate that they would be less likely to vote for the candidate compared to 31% of men.

Marijuana

A politician will lose the most support in Atlantic Canada if it is uncovered that the candidate has smoked marijuana in the past year -- specifically, 40% of Atlantic Canadians would be less likely to support the candidate.

Quebecers are least likely to change their vote (67% indicate no impact compared to 61% nationally).

Strip Club

Should it be revealed that a politician has visited a strip club, different political consequences may ensue depending on what part of Canada the candidate is running in. Over twice as many residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (35%) indicate that they would be less likely to vote for a politician who has visited a strip club compared to British Columbians (14%). Looking at the rest of country, 28% of Ontarians, 23% of Atlantic Canadians, 22% of Albertans and 19% of Quebecers indicate they would be less likely to support the candidate. British Columbians feel the least strongly about the issue, as 85% indicate no impact on their voting behaviour.

Gay

A majority of Canadians (77%) indicate that learning that a candidate was gay would have no impact on their vote (this is the majority view across the country). Twice as many Albertans compared to British Columbians would not vote for a politician on the basis of their sexuality (almost three in ten (29%) Albertans indicate that they would be less likely to vote for a gay candidate compared to 14% of British Columbians). In addition, five percent of British Columbians two percent indicate that they would be more likely to support a gay candidate (this compares to zero in Alberta and one percent throughout the rest of the country).

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This CTV/Angus Reid Poll was conducted by telephone between February 9th and 12th 1998 among a representative cross-section of 1,000 Canadian adults.

These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

With a Canada-wide sample of 1,000, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within 1773.2 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

W. John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900