ENVIRONICS POLL: OPPOSITION TO EQUAL MARRIAGE FALLS SHARPLY

Canadians are more than 2 to 1 against re-opening

(OTTAWA, June 19) Today Canadians for Equal Marriage released a poll conducted by Environics Research Group asking Canadians two questions: (1) whether they support equal marriage and (2) whether the Conservative government should re-open the issue and have another vote or whether the issue is settled and there should not be another vote. The poll demonstrates that Canadians are increasingly comfortable with the idea of equal marriage. At the same time they are overwhelmingly opposed to re-opening the issue in Parliament.

By a more than a 2 to 1 margin, Canadians who expressed an opinion consider this matter settled and are against having another vote. 62% of respondents consider the matter settled while only 27% want another vote and 11% did not express an opinion. A majority of Conservative voters (52%) are against re-opening, while only 38% want to re-open the issue and 10% did not express an opinion.

The poll also asked whether “same-sex couples should have the same right to civil marriage as opposite-sex couples.” Of those with an opinion, respondents were 64% to 36% in favour of equal marriage. 59% of all respondents agreed, only 33% disagreed and 8% did not express an opinion. Even more telling, those who strongly agree with equal marriage outnumber those who strongly disagree by 36% to 24%. Conservative voters were evenly split, 47% to 47%.

The highest support for equal marriage and strongest opposition to re-opening was in Quebec, where support for equal marriage is running at 67% in favour and 27% against and opposition to re-opening is 68% to 21%. That means that over three quarters of Quebecers with an opinion are opposed to re-opening.

“This latest polling demonstrates that overall opposition to equal marriage has declined since passage of the federal legislation,” said Derek Leebosh of Environics Research Group. “In addition, the strength of the opposition that remains has also fallen and this drop was even more pronounced among Conservative voters, where strong opponents have fallen from 46% to 35%.”

“These polls confirm what we already knew – that 2/3 of Canadians consider the matter settled and want to move on,” said Laurie Arron, National Coordinator of Canadians for Equal Marriage. “While equality for minority groups should never be subject to the tyranny of the majority, it’s encouraging that so many Canadians, and so many Conservative voters, are against having another vote.”

“With many same-sex couples celebrating their third anniversary this month, I think it’s obvious to Canadians that equal marriage hasn’t hurt anyone,” continued Mr. Arron. “There’s simply no reason to re-open this divisive debate.”

June 10 marked the third anniversary of equal marriage in Canada. On June 10, 2003, the first marriage licences were issued to same-sex couples following the historic Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that day. Since then, over 10,000 same-sex couples have been legally married in Canada.

2,001 people were surveyed between May 25 and June 2, 2006, and the poll results are considered accurate to within 2.1 percentage points, 95 times out of 100. For complete results, click here. The last time the equal marriage issue was questioned was in January 2005. The re-opening issue was surveyed by Environics in November 2005 and January 2006. Both polls found 66% of Canadians opposed to re-opening.

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