CANADIANS AGREE WITH BUILDING MORE JAILS

But Majority Want to Know Cost: Poll

A majority of Canadians support the Conservatives' costly prison
expansion plan but think the government should be compelled to
provide the estimated price tag for its entire law-and-order agenda,
according to the results of a new poll.

Fifty-seven per cent of those surveyed said the prison expansion
program, estimated to cost at least $2 billion, is a worthwhile
initiative, while 43 per cent said it is unaffordable. Those results
will take some wind out of the sails of the opposition parties who
argue that Canadians don't want bigger jails and the government is
wasting money at a time when the country has a massive deficit.

But when it comes to calling on the government to disclose all
estimated costs for crime-related legislation, Canadians are clearly
on the side of the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois. Eighty-two per
cent said the government should be compelled to release the figures.
Eighteen per cent said they should be kept secret if the government
says they should be. The government and opposition parties have been
locked in a battle over releasing cost estimates for justice bills,
which combined, could reach into the billions of dollars.

The poll of 1,097 Canadians was conducted Feb. 15 to 17 by Ipsos Reid
for Postmedia News and Global National. It has a margin of error of
plus or minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Crime and justice legislation is a high priority for Prime Minister
Stephen Harper's government and because some of its legislation will
keep convicted criminals in prison longer and add to the prisoner
population, the government is investing millions of dollars in
expanding penitentiaries.

The opposition parties say the Tories are focused on the wrong
priorities and instead, should be investing in health care,
education, help for seniors and pension reform.

While the poll results indicate a majority of Canadians support the
prison plan, some Canadians are more in favour than others and the
demographic trends are interesting to note, says Darrell Bricker, CEO
of Ipsos Reid Public Affairs. "In spite of the rhetoric in the House
of Commons and what people on the opposition side are saying about
the government's justice agenda, you can see why they're on it," he
said. "Because the people who are most likely to vote for them
- -non-university-educated, older, male voters -think this is a dandy
idea. So it's basically speaking to their core constituency in a very
effective way."

Residents of Alberta were the most likely to support the expansions,
with 73 per cent in favour. Fifty-one per cent of Atlantic Canadians
supported them; 55 per cent in Ontario; 51 per cent in Quebec; 61 per
cent in Saskatchewan and Manitoba; and 63 per cent in British Columbia.