The COMPAS panel of CEOs and business leaders was asked to assess the Harper government on the occasion of its first cabinet shuffle. The only issue eliciting widespread agreement was the appointment of Treasury Board President John Baird to the Environment portfolio. Panelists appear to know and approve of him and his appointment more than any of the others.

The appointments of Solberg, Nicholson, Toews, and Kenney elicited good scores - higher than the government was accustomed to receiving during the Chretien-Martin period but not particularly high by the standards of performance scores earned by the Harper government.

Asked to identify the most successful and disappointing aspects of the Harper government, the panel showed a striking absence of consensus on either matter. Integrity emerged as the most successful aspect of the government. Yet, the absence of integrity was volunteered by other respondents as among some of the more disappointing features of the government.

The most frequently mentioned disappointment was the government’s performance on the environment. But panelists were divided in what they wanted. Those concerned about carbon gases causing climate change lamented an absence of sufficient action.

Those who perceive changes in climate as caused by matters beyond human control criticized the government for appearing to embrace the climate change paradigm of the Liberals.

These are the principal findings from the weekly business web-survey conducted by COMPAS for the Financial Post under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody LLP.

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