Links to polls (independently verifiable) are below
From 2006 to March, 2008 there were various well-publicized polls showing a majority Canadian taxpayer opposition to Canada’s military involvement in Afghanistan.
Despite that, on March 13, 2008, the House of Commons voted to extend it by 2 more years (from 2009 to 2011).
In other words, the majority of the taxpayer funders of the war opposed it, but the government used their money to extend it anyway.
The opposition to the extension existed despite the new conditions attached to the mission: Even after the Manley report was released (Jan 2008), polls showed opposition (see last three polls in the below list). Also see this July, 2008 poll (four months after Parliament voted).
Links to polls:
Here are links to 11 polls from 5 different pollsters
(also listed are the 4 -5 different media outlets which initially reported on the polls). Dates are spread over the one year ahead of the vote in the House of Commons
April 23 2007 – Ipsos-Reid poll reported by Canwest News The majority 63% of Canadians want the troops brought home on schedule by February 2009.
May 6 2007 – SES Research poll (for Sun Media) reported by CTV The majority 55% said Canada should pull out of Afghanistan if casualties continue, while 39% said casualties are an unfortunate but necessary part of the military. At the time of the poll, Canada had lost 54 soldiers
May 20 2007 – Strategic Counsel poll reported by CTV The majority 55% of Canadians oppose the military mission in Afghanistan, while a minority 40% support it.
June 11 2007 – Decima Research poll reported by Macleans The majority two-thirds 67% of Canadians want the military mission in Afghanistan to end in Feb. 2009, while only a small minority 26% think it should be extended past Feb. 2009.
July 18 2007 – Strategic Counsel poll reported by CTV News The majority 59% of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan, while only a minority 36% support.
August 24 2007 – Ipsos Reid poll reported by Canwest News In a statistical tie within the poll’s 3.1% margin of error, 51% of Canadians support the mission while 45% oppose it.
Aug 27 2007 – Angus Reid Global Monitor poll reported by itself – Nearly 1 in 2 Canadians, 49%, think the NATO mission in Afghanistan has been mostly a failure. Only 22% of Canadians think it has been mostly a success.
Jan 14 2008- Strategic Counsel poll reported by CTV, Globe & Mail The majority 56% of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan, while only a minority 39% support. The overwhelming majority 78% of Canadians think the combat role should end, while only a small minority 17% think the combat role should continue. The plurality 47% of Canadians want the troops to return as soon as possible.
Jan 2008 – Manley report was released.
January 26, 2008 – Ipsos Reid poll reported by CanWest News Only a minority 35% of Canadians approve of the so-called Manley Panel’s recommendations for Canada’s troops in Afghanistan. Even the new conditions aren’t supported by a majority.
Feb 11, 2008 – Angus Reid Global Monitor poll reported by itself The majority 58% of Canadians disagree with an extension of the military mission past February 2009, while only a minority 36% agree with it.
Feb 20, 2008 – Strategic Counsel poll reported by Globe & Mail (Pg 29-31) The majority 61% of Canadians oppose an extension past February 2009, while only a minority 35% support one.
March 13, 2008 – Vote in the House of Commons, which went against all of the above wishes of the majority of Canadians. (Click here for CBC News online article)
