Try 35-38% overall, and 72% of conservatives: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/04/10/bill-c-51-poll-anti-.... The government is listening to the people that elected them.

The people didn't want it in the first place - it wasn't like 72% of conservatives came up and said "hey we need a spying bill". Please. Idiots are just voting for their party or what the millions of dollars of propaganda tells them to, while decades of "think of the children" monologues echo through their minds.

Ah yes, the whole "you can't refute my baseless assertions about what people want with poll numbers because sheeple" argument.

It's not baseless. The reason he gave is incorrect, but it's not baseless. It's a problem with the First Past the Post election style, where there is a clear imbalance between the Seats you get an the % of people who voted for you.

If you can give me a logical reason why 38% gives you anywhere close to a majority mandate, especially one that is used to pass multiple dangerous omnibus bills, then I can recommend a great career for you at the CPC.

I don't think most people would agree with such bills if they truly understood them and the potential for abuse.

What they usually hear is "this bill will stop terrorism - well, that's good enough for me!" and don't research the issue any further.

Most people would especially be furious to learn that such bills don't in fact stop terrorism and they are just lied to so the governments gets more power. But because they don't have a good understanding of the issue themselves they just think that's just some "liberal propaganda trying to remove our small government (ironically) guys from power", or whatever.

I put in volunteer time helping with handing out information and educating the public (as well as collecting petition signatures / mail your mp letters... fat lot of good that did). This is an accurate description of what I experienced when talking with people in the street. People start off dismissive but once they learn about the problems with the bill, the vast majority would say they were opposed.

Meanwhile the government has been spewing fear mongering propaganda since the Bill came out

Or, they reasonably calculate that the risk/reward is in their favor? Even if the law is used 100% to suppress political dissent, it's not like the government is going to target people expressing mainstream conservative viewpoints.

It may not target them but the funny thing about this kind of law is - hang on, you're discussing government policy on a critical site? That's a watch-listin'!

I'm Canadian but haven't been there much. It appears that there are a lot of simpleton Canadians that voted for the current government and probably think this kinda thing is OK.