Ottawa: Amid diplomatic friction between Ottawa and New Delhi, a survey has found that 39 per cent of Canadians believed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration wasn't managing the ties well. The poll by the Angus Reid Institute (ARI) and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada also found that 39 per cent of Canadians believed that ties wouldn't improve till Trudeau was the Prime Minister.
It further revealed a lack of consensus as to who was responsible for Indo-Canadian ties hitting a low. However, more people laid the blame on the Canadian government. As per the survey, 39 per cent of Canadians believe that Canada isn’t managing the ties well, while 32 per cent had the opposite view, and 29 per cent of the respondents said they weren't sure.
Of those surveyed, 39 per cent believed ties wouldn't improve till Trudeau was in office, while 34 per cent thought the same of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite the strained ties, 64 per cent of Canadians believe the country should at least "cautiously" attempt to reopen trade negotiations with India.
The survey further revealed that Canadians having a favorable view of India has dropped to 26 per cent from 56 per cent some 20 months ago. However, Canadians still view India as better than China and Russia.
The slide in the relationship between the two countries began in September 2023, when Trudeau accused India of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18, a claim that India has denied, calling it absurd and motivated.
Canada is going to hold a parliamentary election in 2025, and the Opposition Conservative Party stands a chance at winning the elections. If the Conservatives win, Pierre Poilievre will be the Canadian Prime Minister, giving a chance for bilateral ties to be reset.
This comes even as a Canadian outlet accused India of meddling in the 2022 Canadian election, specifically in the leadership race of the Conservative Party. “Allegations of Indian interference in Conservative leadership races are alarming but they’re not new,” Trudeau said while responding to a question in the House of Commons.
