Freedom? Many Canadians Driven Mad by Gov’t & Media Propaganda Just Don’t Get

FUREY: Pandemic civil liberties abuses most popular among Liberal voters, poll shows

Author of the article:Anthony FureyPublishing date:Feb 01, 2021  •  13 hours ago  •  2 minute read

Share

TRENDING

Article contentA disturbing new national poll shows just how many civil liberties abuses Canadians — especially Liberal voters — are willing to inflict on their neighbours in the name of battling COVID-19.

When it comes to jailing or fining people for “spreading disinformation” about the virus, almost three quarters (71%) of Liberal voters support the law clamping down on those who are “questioning the existence or seriousness of COVID” by making claims such as “it’s just the flu.” Although on a national level, 59% of Canadians still support such measures.

Liberal voters are also most likely to support the police breaking up families in the name of public health, with 36% giving family separation the thumbs up. Support is not minuscule among other voter intentions, though, with 25% of Conservatives and 21% of NDPers OK with it.

The online survey of 2,413 Canadians was conducted by Campaign Research / Maru & Blue from Jan. 28 to 30.

One of the few measures that is opposed across the board is the government compelling cellphone companies to provide individual location data to facilitate the enforcement of pandemic rules. “Surprisingly, 37% of Canadian voters support such actions by the government,” the poll release reads.

While the poll shows the greatest support for civil liberties abuses by Liberal supporters, the total numbers reveal that Canadians in general are fairly split on the need for greater authoritarian measures.

For example, 51% of respondents across the country oppose pedestrian checkpoints in their streets, with 46% in support. Likewise, 52% of Canadians support establishing police vehicle checkpoints while 45% of them oppose it.https://www.youtube.com/embed/61MLRx1Ryxs?embed_config={%27relatedChannels%27:%20[],%27autonav%27:true}&autoplay=0&playsinline=1&enablejsapi=1

Perspectives differ by province, though. The numbers show support for these measures is highest in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces and opposition increases in Ontario and further west.

When respondents are asked directly whether or not they support suspending civil liberties and rights, 52% of Canadians say no, with only 38% supporting it.

It’s an interesting exercise in cognitive dissonance to see that while only about a third of Canadians answer yes to a theoretical question about suspending civil liberties, when they are presented with actual scenarios — separating families, entering private residences without warrants, and jailing people for having unorthodox views on COVID-19 — they are far more likely to offer support.