66% favour stronger ties to u.S.
[" Canada falls in that category "? Not by this poll today. And I will state categorically that is absolutely false and such broad statements of narrow perception is something I take personally as a Canadian.
If you are going by beer commercials,{ Molson Canadian } I guess your perceptions could be influenced, but in the every day lives and attitudes of the vast majority of people, this so called Anti-American thinking just does not exist.We may disagree on issues, we may have rivalries, we may make some uncomplimentary observations about one another every now and again,and there are certain nationalist thinkers like in most countries that have a Canada first agenda,but to say or even suggest that Canada and its people " hate " America or Americans is beyond ludicrous .In fact, it is downright shameful and I would suggest you do some further research on the subject before coming on here and making such ridiculous statements. ]
Liberal pollster finds growing confidence Canada can compete in intertwined economy
Robert Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief
National Post
Monday, October 21, 2002
VANCOUVER - Canadians want even closer economic ties to the United States to increase their standard of living, and are increasingly confident they can compete on an equal footing with American industry, a new poll by the Liberal party's pollster suggests.
Michael Marzolini, the chairman of Pollara, told the National Post yesterday a solid majority of Canadians -- 66% -- want the Chrétien government to foster greater U.S. economic integration. Only 5% are adamantly opposed.
"We are not fearful of American influence on our culture or our sovereignty as we were a number of years ago," he said. "There are obviously still some concerns, but I was amazed to find that it is less than three in 10."
The poll found that while 66% want stronger economic integration with the United States, 29% are somewhat opposed and 5% are absolutely against it.
The poll of 1,200 Canadians was conducted between Sept. 27 and Oct. 1 and is considered accurate plus or minus 2.9 percentage points 19 times out of 20.
Mr. Marzolini said there is also majority support for stronger cultural ties to the United States.
"It is very clear that the level of fear that many have talked about with respect to our sovereignty, our culture and our economy is not as great as many have pointed out," Mr. Marzolini said.
The survey shows left-leaning members of the Liberal caucus, the federal New Democrats and nationalists such as Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians who oppose stronger cross-border ties are out of touch with most Canadians.
At the same time, the survey could buttress efforts by Bill Graham, the Foreign Affairs Minister, to expand North American integration beyond trade and tariffs into social policy and Mexican development. Mr. Graham has mused that NAFTA could be expanded to cover social, environmental, justice and other issues.
The Marzolini survey shows the 1988 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, and the economic benefits that have flowed from it, have had an enormous impact on Canadians' attitudes toward the United States.
Mr. Marzolini said 50% of Canadians now see U.S. investment in Canada as improving our standard of living, while 29% claim it reduces our economic well-being.
"Clearly there is an understanding that most of the U.S. money is investment that does have a payoff for our economy," he said.
Just as significantly, only 30% of those surveyed express fear that Canadians can compete south of the border, while 66% are confident we can.
A remarkable 87% believe Canada needs to look beyond its borders to survive economically.
"We are putting aside our inferiority complex, which has influenced us in the past. We are now looking at the Americans as partners rather than as a very, very senior partner," Mr. Marzolini added.
Ted Carmichael, chief Canadian economist at J.P. Morgan in Toronto, said in a study released Friday, the drop in Canada's share of U.S. imports over the past two years has erased nearly all the gains made after the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1991. The study shows Canada's share of U.S. imports rose from around 18.5% in the early 1990s to a peak of about 19.5% in 1996, but since the middle of 1999, it has slipped back down to around 18.5%.
Over the weekend at an NDP leadership forum in St. John's, the candidates, including veteran MP Lorne Nystrom and Jack Layton, a Toronto city councillor, warned about the dangers of being closely tied to the United States.
Marjorie LeBreton, a Conservative Senator and former deputy chief of staff to Brian Mulroney, said the Marzolini survey overwhelmingly shows the former Tory prime minister was right to push for the Canada-U.S. free trade pact and the subsequent North American Free Trade Agreement.
"I'm pleased to hear that Canadians are starting to break out of their 'little Canada' attitude and I have always been puzzled why some Canadians have an inferiority complex," she said. "The poll shows Mr. Mulroney was courageous in pushing for free trade and NAFTA and Canadians now overwhelmingly support that."
Mr. Marzolini said his poll also supports remarks by John Manley, the Finance Minister, who has said Canadians should stop fearing U.S. domination. He angered social activists in the Liberal caucus by saying Canada should stand "shoulder to shoulder'' with Americans in the wake of Sept. 11.
bfife@nationalpost.com |
