Canadians prefer bombs over trainers against ISIL, poll finds

Canadians broadly approve of both the country’s bombing mission against Islamic State and its program of training those who fight the militant group.

But if they had to choose between the two policies, more would opt for bombs over trainers, a new poll for Postmedia has found.

The study by Mainstreet Research, conducted three days after the deadly terror attacks in Paris, also found Canadians were not sure the country was prepared to deal with a terrorist attack, even as they maintained they don’t feel personally threatened.

Mainstreet found 60 per cent of those surveyed approved of the bombing mission, which began under the previous Conservative government.

Thirty per cent opposed it, and the remainder were unsure.

Seventy per cent approved of the training mission, with 21 per cent against it and nine per cent unsure.

But when the pollster asked which role Canadians would prefer the country to pursue if they had to choose, 38 per cent chose the bombing policy, with just 28 per cent preferring a training mission.

(Eight per cent felt Canada should be doing nothing; the remainder either favoured some other action altogether — the poll did not ask for specifics — or were not sure.)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to end the bombing campaign on ISIL militants in Iraq and Syria before March 2015.

Meanwhile, he will expand the training mission, although details on how this will be done have not yet been provided.

He told reporters this week he wants Canada to be “a strong and positive contributor to the continuing mission against ISIL.”

Meanwhile, more than four in 10 Canadians said they didn’t think Canada was prepared to deal with a terrorist attack should one occur here. Twenty-six per cent felt the country was prepared but fully one-third said they didn’t know.

Nonetheless, almost twothirds said they are not concerned about a terrorist attack where they personally live or

More than four in 10 … said they didn’t think Canada was prepared to deal with a terrorist attack.

work. This last finding is in accord with the government’s own message.

On Wednesday, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said there’s no reason to raise Canada’s threat level, even after the Paris attacks.

The minister said authorities are being extra vigilant but added the country is basically safe and peaceful.

Mainstreet conducted its poll of 2,718 Canadians on Nov. 16, using interactive voice response telephone technology. That sample size is thought to carry a margin of error nationally of plus or minus 1.88 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For the full poll report, please go to mainstreetresearch.ca