In Anticipation Of Formal Federal Apology, Two Thirds (63%) Believe `It's About Time
the Government and Canadians
Come to Terms With Past Actions'

Ottawa, ON -- In anticipation of another formal apology issued by the Federal Government, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television finds that when it comes to issuing federal apologies, two thirds (63%) of Canadians believe `it's about time that the Government and Canadians come to terms with its past actions, and so issuing apologies for past transgressions and mistakes is appropriate'.

From the time that Brian Mulroney was Prime Minister, the Canadian Government has issued apologies for the transgressions of previous governments, ranging from the internment of Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War to the former head tax on Chinese Canadians and to the abuses of the Residential School System.

However, one in three (34%) Canadians apparently would disagree with this relatively new-found practice and are closer to the opinion that `the current Government of Canada and Canadians can't and shouldn't be held accountable for the mistakes of previous governments, and therefore no apology is necessary'.

The Federal Government is expected to announce a formal apology for the Komagata Maru incident of 1914, whereby most of the individuals on a ship that left Hong Kong with 376 passengers, many of them Sikhs, were turned away once they arrived to Canada, as per the immigration laws of the day.

A majority of Canadians (52%) `agree' (17% strongly/35% somewhat) with the government's decision to issue a formal apology for this incident. On the other hand, four in ten (42%) `disagree' (22% strongly/20% somewhat) with the government's decision.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television from June 3 to June 5, 2008. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1000 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Canada been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

Two Thirds (63%) Believe `It's About Time the Government and Canadians Come to Terms With Past Actions'...

• Canadians living in British Columbia (70%) are most likely to feel this way, followed by residents of Alberta (66%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (65%), Quebec (65%), Ontario (58%), and Atlantic Canada (58%).
• Middle-aged Canadians (67%) are more likely than younger (62%) or older (59%) Canadians to agree with this point of view.
• Women (64%) are slightly more likely than men (61%) to say the same.

Majority (52%) `Agrees' With Government's Decision to Issue Formal Apology for Komagata Maru Incident of 1914...

• A majority of Canadians in British Columbia (59%), Alberta (57%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (54%), and Ontario (52%) agree with the government's decision, while agreement is limited to a minority in Atlantic Canada (48%) and Quebec (47%).
• Younger Canadians (60%) are most likely to agree with the government's decision, compared to middle-aged (55%) and older (42%) Canadians.
• Women (54%) are slightly more likely than men (50%) to agree with the government's decision.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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