Majority of Canadians support tough policy against Iran
The results of an Ipsos poll show that the majority of Canadians prefer stricter measures against Iran over diplomatic relations with the country after the downing of a Ukrainian plane by Iranian Revolutionary Guard missiles.
A new poll by Ipsos Research shows that Canadians are more likely to want tougher sanctions on Tehran than they are to restore diplomatic relations with Iran, and they expect the government to pursue the rights of Canadians until the end.
57 of the 176 passengers on board the Ukrainian plane that was shot down by Iranian Revolutionary Guards missiles on January 8, killing all 176 people, were Canadian citizens.
According to Global News Canada, this strong support for Canada's tough stance against Iran has found support among voters and supporters of the country's parties, including the Liberals, New Democrats, and Bloc Quebecois, as well as the Conservatives.
Sebastian Dallaire, vice president of Ipsos, said about the results of the survey that Canadians want to see how far the government is supporting its citizens and getting the right answers from Iran.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously said that until Iranian authorities provide a clear and honest answer about the real reasons for the downing of the Ukrainian plane, not only Canada but also the world will follow the issue.
Canada's foreign minister also announced yesterday that he will pressure Iran to send the black boxes of the downed Ukrainian plane to France. Francois-Philippe Champagne said that he will judge the Iranian side by its behavior and performance, not its promises.
Pursuing compensation and resuming relations with Tehran
The Ipsos poll also had other results, such as Canada's stance on strength and pursuit of compensation for the families of the victims, as well as its willingness to resume diplomatic relations with Tehran.
The Canadian government has repeatedly asked Iranian authorities to investigate the rights of the Canadian citizens who died and to pay compensation to their families. However, Iranian authorities have stated that they do not recognize dual citizens. A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry also said that Canada has become a hotter pot than a soup pot.
Six out of 10 respondents called for Canada to resume formal diplomatic relations with Iran, citing, for example, the reopening of embassies.
Support for reopening the embassy is divided across Canadian parties, with the Liberal Party (66%), the New Democratic Party (69%), and Bloc Quebecois voters (63%) most supportive. Meanwhile, only 47% of Conservative Party voters said they would like to see formal relations with Iran restored.
The Ipsos vice president did not find these results surprising, saying that in the current situation, the first priority for Canadians is to take action. Establishing better relations with the Iranian government and normalizing relations in the current situation, even if it is desired by the majority of Canadians, is in second place.
Diplomatic relations between Iran and Canada were severed in 2012 following the killing of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi in Evin Prison.
The Ipsos survey was conducted on a “sample” basis with 1,000 Canadians. Respondents answered questions online.
Source: DW
