Most Canadians said they believe it is time to review the full extent of foreign interference in domestic elections and to establish guidelines to curb its influence, according to a poll done by Research Co. .“Canadians of all political stripes believe the country should enact tougher laws to shield against foreign interference,” said Research Co. President Mario Canseco in a Monday press release. .“Sizeable majorities of Canadians who supported the Liberals (80%), the New Democrats (75%) and the Conservatives (73%) in the 2021 federal election are in agreement.”.The poll said 64% of Canadians support an independent inquiry into foreign interference in elections. It said 21% are opposed to an inquiry, while 15% are undecided. .Support for an independent inquiry is highest among Canadians 55 and over (73%). There are majorities among Canadians 35 to 54 (61%) and those 18 to 34 (59%). .The poll went on to say 58% of Canadians believe what they have observed indicates foreign governments have influenced federal elections in this century. .Almost half of people said they think foreign governments have targeted federal nomination contests. Fewer said they believe this interference occurred in provincial elections (42%), provincial nomination contests (35%), municipal elections (33%), or municipal nomination contests (29%)..The poll said one-third think it was very likely the Chinese government attempted to influence electoral processes in Canada in this century. It said this proportion rises to 37% among British Columbians and to 45% among people aged 55 and over. .More than one-fifth of Canadians said Russia (28%) and the United States (24%) are very likely to have attempted to influence electoral processes in Canada. Fewer Canadians said they feel the same way about the United Kingdom (13%), France (10%), and Germany (9%). .The Australian government enacted laws designed to criminalize covert, deceptive, and threatening activities by people intending to interfere with its democratic systems and processes or to support foreign intelligence. .The poll said 72% of Canadians think the Canadian government should introduce similar laws. .Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected calls for an independent inquiry into foreign election interference on Friday, claiming there are several mechanisms to examine the issue and ensure the integrity of elections are maintained..READ MORE: Trudeau rejects calls for independent inquiry into foreign election interference."I think it's extremely important that Canadians are taking such an interest and are so concerned about protecting our democracy," said Trudeau. .He has faced growing calls to launch an inquiry after multiple media reports detailed alleged attempts by China to influence the 2019 and 2021 elections. The Conservatives, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois have called for an independent inquiry into the matter..The poll was conducted online from February 26 to 28 among 1,000 Canadian adults. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
