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Canadians sour on Canada-U.S. cooperation: poll

It appears that Canada and the United States are drifting apart.

Not physically — of course.

But according to a nine year tracking study conducted by Nanos Research and the State University of New York at Buffalo, Canadians are losing their desire to cooperate with the United States in pretty significant numbers.

Nanos asked both Americans and Canadians: "should the United States and Canada be moving towards greater and closer cooperation" in the areas of national security, border security, anti-terrorism and energy policy.

The results clearly show a trend:

  • Level of support for cooperation in terms of national security:

2009

2012

2013

Canadians

60%

54%

45%

Americans

70%

66%

64%

  • Level of support for cooperation in terms of border security:

2009

2012

2013

Canadians

71%

61%

62%

Americans

75%

73%

69%

  • Level of support for cooperation in terms of anti-terrorism:

2009

2012

2013

Canadians

68%

64%

58%

Americans

81%

77%

76%

  • Level of support for cooperation in terms of energy policy:

2009

2012

2013

Canadians

84%

79%

78%

Americans

86%

85%

84%

The survey also suggests that Canadians are increasingly relating better to other countries — like the U.K. and Germany — when it comes to things like family values and human rights.

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Nanos CEO, Nik Nanos says that it appears the further we get away from 9/11, the less the appetite Canadians have to cooperate with the U.S. on national security issues.

On the other issues, he says that there's definitely a parting of ways.

"This is the most important foreign policy relationship that Canada has," he said on CBC News' Power and Politics.

"From Sir John A. to every single prime minister, they've taken ownership of this and what we're seeing from a polling perspective is drift in our most important relationship.

"I think it would be fair to say that if you are looking at characterizing the last few years [of our bilateral relationship] it's been a series of irritants, disagreements related to Keystone and the oil sands, problems related to the border, other issues related to trade and, as a result, we kind of see these dips in numbers."

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You also have to wonder if the dip in numbers has something to do with Canada's 'love affair' with Barack Obama potentially coming to an end.

In the U.S., Obama's polling number have tanked, thanks to his mishandling of the terrorist attack in Libya, the IRS scrutinizing of some right-wing non-profit groups and the NSA surveillance programs. Obama has also appeared indecisive and weak with regard to the Syrian crisis.

Could the sheen of the Obama administration finally be wearing off for Canadians?

(Photo courtesy of Reuters)

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