Recent poll finds 57 per cent of Canadians in favour of marijuana legalization. Justin Trudeau’s statement in favour of legalizing pot sparked a significant amount of political chatter. But political observers are split on whether this stance is likely to buy the Liberals any more votes in the next election.
“I don’t think many people will vote on the basis of this issue,” says Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto.
Nor does he feel Trudeau’s new perspective will force the Conservatives to reconsider their own position going into the next election.
“To win an election, you don’t have to win public opinion — you just have to win 38 per cent of it,” says Wiseman, referring to the percentage of the popular vote that Harper’s Conservatives took in the 2008 and 2011 elections.
Andre Mayer – CBC News – Jul 30, 2013.