Three-quarters of voters polled today would be willing to support the death penalty under at least some circumstances.
The data come from today’s Global News-Ipsos Reid exit poll, conducted across Canada. Globalnews.ca will provide you with details on everything from what drove the vote to top-of-mind campaign issues, most of which we cannot publish until 10 pm EST., once all the polls have closed across Canada.
The results come the day after U.S. commandos tracked down and killed terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden in a hideout in Pakistan.
Support for the return of capital punishment is high across all parties, including the NDP.
About 15 per cent of voters favoured executing all convicted murderers. 24 per cent favoured execution as a punishment for murder in most cases, and another 35 per cent were willing to allow it under "very rare and extreme circumstances". Twenty-three per cent said the death penalty should never be applied under any circumstances.
While higher numbers of Conservative voters favoured the return of capital punishment, majorities of voters backing the Liberals, NDP, Bloc and Green Party were willing to support executing at least some criminals. Opposition was highest among Liberals.
The last executions in Canada took place on the gallows of Toronto's Don Jail in 1962. They ended a long period in which death sentences were increasingly commuted to life imprisonment. After decades of debate, the death penalty was taken off the books in 1976. About 700 people were executed under Canadian law, the great majority for murder.
The same question was asked in the 2008 election, with similar results.
http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/deci...042/story.html
Bookmarks