CBC News should reconsider its practice of commissioning election polls, according to Ombudsman Jack Nagler, following public complaints about a CBC-published poll just days before a 2023 provincial election. Blacklock's Reporter says the poll, released three days before Alberta's May 29 vote, suggested a strong lead for the United Conservative Party, which ultimately secured a narrower-than-predicted win.“I usually don’t like it when media outlets commission election polls,” Nagler explained, adding that while he doesn’t view polls as inherently undemocratic, he believes news organizations should focus less on “the horse race” and more on substantive campaign issues, such as policy platforms and candidate profiles.Nagler cited CBC’s Journalistic Standards And Practices, which permits commissioned polls but mandates transparency about sample size, methodology, and margin of error, especially close to election day when polling might influence voting behavior.The complaints echo broader criticism the network has faced for its polling practices. In 2019, CBC was accused by pollsters like Nanos Research Group, Ekos Research, and Ipsos Public Affairs of appropriating polling data without permission. Pollster Nick Nanos expressed frustration with CBC’s use of others' research as a “public service” without credit or payment. “They never asked permission,” Nanos said at the time.CBC’s “Poll Tracker” feature, which projected seat counts in the House of Commons, was discontinued after complaints. Ipsos pollster Darrel Bricker also objected, stating that CBC continued to use polling data without authorization, despite multiple requests to cease. “They’re a Crown agency... They completely ignored it. They do it anyway and keep doing it,” Bricker said.
