Canadians don't believe the Harper government on Afghan detainees

A majority of Canadians do not believe the Harper government's official line regarding the Canadian military turning over detainees to the Afghan secret police to be tortured. Harris-Decima found that Canadians are twice as likely to believe Richard Colvin's accusation that all detainees given to Afghan authorities by Canadian soldiers were mistreated and government officials knew all about the situation.

• Fifty-one per cent of respondents said they believe Colvin's testimony to the committee last week.

• Only 25 per cent said they believe the government's contention that the diplomat's claims are flimsy and not credible.

• A majority in all regions – except Alberta where 41 per cent believed Colvin and 35 per cent the government – sided with the whistleblower.

• Those who identified themselves as supporters of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives were most inclined to give the government the benefit of the doubt. But even they were almost evenly split, with 40 per cent buying the government's take on the issue and 34 per cent buying Colvin's.

• 70 per cent said it's unacceptable that Canadian forces would hand over prisoners if it's likely they'll be tortured. No less than 60 per cent in any region and even a majority of Conservative supporters subscribed to this view.