A federal court ruling on Canada’s first-ever use of the War Measures (Emergencies) Act calling it “not justified” has revived debate over the controversial use of the extraordinary measure to shut down the Freedom Convoy protest in 2022. Meanwhile, the issues of disenchantment with the federal government and political division which perhaps fuelled the protest continue to linger.New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute (ARI) finds three-in-five (58%) feel their federal government does not care about the issues that are important to them. This widespread disenchantment comes as the Liberal party wallows in a recent nadir of political support. Two-in-five (42%) believe political compromise is possible in today’s environment, but as many (39%) disagree.The skepticism was highest among Conservative voters and least among Liberal voters..These dim views of the political system in the country come in the wake of a fractious period for Canada. The Freedom Convoy protest exposed fault lines that had further deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent federal court ruling called the federal government’s 2022 use of the War Measures (Emergencies) Act “not justified”.While the Trudeau government may not have the court’s legal opinion on its side, it holds onto public opinion regarding the issue. Data collected in mid-January week found nearly half (46%) believe invoking the legislation was necessary to clear the protests, while 28% say police already had the necessary powers required to end the demonstrations.Notably, almost one-in-five are of the view the protestors should have been left alone entirely. Canadians lean towards believing the federal government’s move to appeal is the right decision (45%) than the wrong one (36%)..The ARI conducted its online survey from January 9 to 12 2024 among a representative randomized sample of 1,510 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum, followed by a second online survey from January 24 to 26 2024 among 1,608 Canadians chosen similarly. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
