Seven-in-ten residents would place political parties under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Vancouver, BC [March 8, 2022] – Significant proportions of British Columbians are in favour of changing some rules pertaining to leadership races and Freedom of Information requests, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, more than three-in-five British Columbians (63%) agree with using an independent professional accounting firm to administer leadership processes in provincial political parties.
Support for this change is highest among men (68%) and British Columbians aged 55 and over (also 68%).
Most residents of the province who voted for the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) (71%), the BC Liberals (66%) and the BC Green Party (54%) in the 2020 provincial election support relying on an independent professional accounting firm to administer leadership processes.
Support is not as strong when British Columbians are asked about giving Elections BC the power to administer leadership processes in provincial political parties. While a majority of the province’s residents (53%) agree with this idea, 19% disagree and 27% are undecided.
“There are some significant regional fluctuations when British Columbians ponder whether Elections BC should oversee party leadership processes,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “While majorities of residents of Metro Vancouver (56%) and Vancouver Island (55%) would welcome this change, agreement is lower in the Fraser Valley (48%), Northern BC (45%) and Southern BC (43%).”
Seven-in-ten British Columbians (70%) are in favour of subjecting all political parties represented in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
Support is exactly the same (70%) for bringing all political parties represented in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia under FIPPA.
More than two thirds of British Columbians (69%) support only allowing adults to vote in party leadership elections, and not any individual aged 12 to 17, even if they are party members.
British Columbians aged 55 and over are more likely to reject the possibility of minors participating in party leadership races (80%) than their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (63%) and aged 18-to-34 (also 63%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from February 12 to February 14, 2022, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca