A recent Ipsos_Reid poll shows that a majority of Canadians want policies to be kept independent from the US, even if the result is more autonomy from the US, instead of the "mending relations" mode that the current Liberal government has chosen as a result of the highly publicized fallout from Canada not agreeing to send military support to Iraq.
The poll, which asked over 1,000 people a variety of questions regarding how Canada should proceed with US relations, found the following: 69% do not want Canada to dedicate any spending or to lend land to Bush's missile defence system; 77 % think that Canada's limited military spending should be used for peacekeeping and conflict resolution rather than for helping the US with combat; 90 % think Canada should establish an independent energy policy even if the result is restrictions on exports and foreign ownership of Canadian supplies; and 91% believe that Canada should set its own environmental health safety standards and regulations, regardless of the impact on trade opportunities with the US.
Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians National Chairperson, calls the poll findings a "wake-up call to all politicians to listen to the values of Canadians and to reject the growing corporate lobby push for deeper integration with the US."
» Council of Canadians: Canadians Prefer Independent Policies from the U.S.
» Ipsos News Centre: Canadians' Views On Future Canada-US Relations
The Dominion is a monthly paper published by an incipient network of independent journalists in Canada. It aims to provide accurate, critical coverage that is accountable to its readers and the subjects it tackles. Taking its name from Canada's official status as both a colony and a colonial force, the Dominion examines politics, culture and daily life with a view to understanding the exercise of power.