A tiny bit more faith in the general public....
Canadians Think Hillier Should Speak His Mind
Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research, 26 Feb 07
News release -
Full report (.pdf)
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many Canadian adults believe their chief of defence staff should be able to express his views freely, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 58 per cent of respondents think Rick Hillier is entitled to speak his mind publicly, regardless of political implications.
Conversely, 30 per cent of respondents think Hillier, as the chief of defence staff, should not make public statements that could have political implications, and 12 per cent are unsure.
Earlier this month, Hillier criticized former Liberal governments for under-funding the military, and referred to the 1990s as a "decade of darkness" for the Canadian Armed Forces. Hillier justified his comments, declaring, "I describe things as accurately, as clearly, as bluntly and as frankly as I possibly can and that’s what I’ve done. We’ve gone through a decade of darkness and we’re starting to come out of it and that’s a description of the Canadian Forces. Like it or not, that’s the description."
Former cabinet minister and current Liberal parliamentarian Denis Coderre expressed dismay at Hillier’s allegations, claiming the chief of defence staff has become "a prop" for the Conservatives.
Canadians renewed the House of Commons in January 2006. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 36.3 per cent of the vote, and secured 124 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper leads a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.
Polling Data
As you may know, Rick Hillier, Canada’s chief of defence staff, recently criticized former Liberal governments for under-funding the military. Hillier also referred to the 1990s as a "decade of darkness" for the Canadian Armed Forces. Which of the following statements comes closest to your view?
As the chief of defence staff, Hillier is
entitled to speak his mind publicly,
regardless of political implications 58%
As the chief of defence staff, Hillier
should not make public statements
that could have political implications 30%
Not sure 12%
Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,069 Canadian adults, conducted on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21, 2007. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.