OTTAWA - While the Conservatives lead an investigation into polling commissioned by previous governments, the prime minister's own department failed to publicly disclose public-opinion research it conducted within ethnic communities last year.
Depositing reports of all public-opinion research with Library and Archives Canada is one of the mandatory provisions in the government's Federal Accountability Act.
Alongside an investigation into government polling between 1990-2003, the disclosure policy was designed to address allegations that the previous Liberal administration used taxpayers' money to fund partisan research through friendly firms.
But a $117,000 research project completed for the Privy Council Office, entitled "Exploring the Views of Canada's Multicultural Communities," does not appear in public records. The report was issued last September, meaning it should have been publicly listed no later than March.
Asked about the non-compliance, a PCO spokeswoman said officials were working to fulfil disclosure requirements. No explanation was given for the delay.
The research, conducted by Ipsos-Reid, delves into the views of three different immigrant communities about the Conservative government's famous five policy priorities.
The report, obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act, was compiled after researchers held group discussions in four different languages: Spanish, Punjabi, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Ipsos-Reid concludes that most respondents did not know much about the government's policy priorities, and usually described a different set of issues as most important to them.
Tories pursuing ethnics
The Conservatives have been aggressively pursuing voters in Canada's ethno-cultural enclaves. The government's apology to the Chinese community for the immigration head tax and the launching of an inquiry into the Air India bombing were both regarded as outreach to communities that have historically voted Liberal.
Jason Kenney, the secretary of state for multiculturalism, has spent many weekends pressing the flesh at ethnic events across Canada.
Liberal Public Works critic Pablo Rodriguez criticized the Ipsos-Reid research as political, and said the Tories should have expanded their investigation into polling to include their own practices.
"They are using taxpayers' money to see if their political program is accepted or liked by cultural communities, and they're doing it while they're in government so they don't have to use their own money," said Rodriguez.
A spokesman from the Prime Minister's Office said the research was based on policies outlined in the speech from the throne, as well as issues of importance to new Canadians.
"The groups were non-partisan, policy-focused and helpful in getting input from members of Canada's multicultural communities," said Dimitri Soudas.
Government guidelines only specifically prohibit polling subject matter such as voting intentions and perceptions about party leaders. Departments routinely do polls to gauge public reaction and knowledge as they move forward with their policies.
However, the auditor general reported early this year that there are still problems with departments failing to provide a rationale for the research they commission.
The main objectives described in the Ipsos-Reid research were "understanding the views of Canada's multicultural communities as to issues facing the country and immigrant communities," and "awareness of the government's agenda, their views on government's performance."
Researchers found that opinions about the government among immigrants are "more often characterized by unfamiliarity or ambivalence." Knowledge of the five Tory policy priorities is "generally low among both new and settled immigrants."
On Prime Minister Stephen Harper's main campaign plank of accountability, Ipsos-Reid interviewers found the subject did not come up spontaneously with participants. "There is little to indicate in immigrants' minds that the government has done much to change the climate," said the report.
Few immigrants could name anything the government had done to address health-care wait times, although they regarded the issue as among their greatest concerns.
Crime was also listed as a significant concern to immigrants - with the exception of Spanish-speakers - but "few could mention hearing of anything the federal government had done in the area."
Only two of Harper's five priorities seemed to register with those polled: the one percentage point GST cut, and the $100-a-month child-care allowance.
Researchers noted that the Universal Child Care Benefit was viewed in ways similar to that of the general public: "Positive views on the childcare allowance are tempered by the sense that the money is not enough in terms of both the amount and the incomplete policy solution is represents."
Other points of interest for Conservative policy-makers included a note that both Punjabi and Cantonese-speaking respondents disapproved of the military mission in Afghanistan. Mandarin-speaking Chinese immigrants said they wanted the government to "establish a good relationship with the Chinese government."
New immigrants - in Canada for five years or less - described different priorities from those who had been in the country longer. Researchers found they were more concerned about issues of basic survival, such as access to housing, work, health care and language training. More settled immigrants mentioned obtaining good work in their chosen field as a major priority.
