Public Safety spends little on opinion research
High-profile department among least likely to study public thinking
Last September, then-public safety minister Vic Toews received a memo seeking his approval to conduct public opinion research on “the government’s performance on counterterrorism.”
“It is recommended that you approve this project by signing below … as soon as possible,” read the memo signed by then-acting deputy minister Graham Flack.
But the proposal, details of which were almost entirely redacted in a copy obtained under access-to-information legislation, was rejected by Toews.
Turns out, Public Safety Canada, one of the most high-profile departments in government, is among the least likely to seek out public opinion of its initiatives, according to a database maintained by Public Works and Government Services Canada.
In 2011-12, the year the government passed its signature omnibus crime bill, Public Safety Canada spent $21,953 on one public opinion research project. It was related to a cyber-security public awareness campaign.
By comparison, Health Canada spent $772,463 on 14 projects, the Canada Revenue Agency spent $674,181 on 10 projects and National Defence spent $669,405 on seven projects.
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Natural Resources Canada rounded out the top five spenders on public opinion research.
In all, 28 federal departments spent $6.5 million on 100 public opinion research projects that fiscal year.
Only two departments on the list spent less than Public Safety Canada: the Public Service Labour Relations Board and the National Research Council of Canada.
A look at the previous two fiscal years shows similar results. (Public Works said Friday that data for the 2012-13 fiscal year is not yet available).
Luc Turgeon, a professor of political studies at the University of Ottawa, said Friday that a possible explanation for why Public Safety Canada has not felt compelled to gauge public opinion is because of the Conservatives’ “strong views” on crime policy.
“They’re not agnostic about that issue,” he said. “In light of the government’s agenda, I’m not surprised this is not an issue they’d want to spend money on. It’s not one of those issues that they’ve wavered on. This is at the heart of their identity.”