Canadian Views On Canada's Role In International Affairs

Vancouver, BC -- In the first of a series of national polls on important public policy issues in Canada, the University of Ottawa commissioned Ipsos-Reid to undertake a nationwide survey on Canadians' views on Canada's role in international affairs.

Canadians Believe Canada Should Take An Active Role In World Affairs

Fully 91% of the Canadian population believes Canada should take an active role in world affairs. Specifically, 40% feel that Canada should take a "very active" role, while 51% believe we should take a "somewhat active" role. Only 4% of Canadians believe that Canada should play a small, but not very active role, and 3% feel that Canada should do nothing at all.

While nearly all those polled agreed with this sentiment, opinions of Canada's role in world affairs vary somewhat from province to province. Ontario residents for example are slightly more likely than their western counterparts to support an active role in world affairs (96% of Ontario residents compared with 90% in BC, 88% in Alberta, and 84% in Quebec).

Views also vary slightly by age, where younger Canadians (those aged 18 to 34) are more likely than those age 35 or older to think that Canada should play an active part in world affairs (95% of the younger age group compared with 90% those age 35+).

No Consensus Among Canadians On Whether Canada's Influence In World Affairs Is What They Expect Of A Country Of Its Size And Capacity

For the most part, Canadians believe that Canada's current level of influence in world affairs is meeting (44%) or exceeding (22%) their expectations of a country of its size and capabilities. However, many people in the country (33%) believe Canada has less influence than they would expect, with 11% saying we have "much less influence".

These opinions are consistent across all provinces and age groups and by gender. However, residents in Ontario (23%) and Quebec (24%) are more likely than those in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (12%) to feel Canada has more influence in world affairs than they would expect.

Most Canadians Believe Canada Has Gained More Influence In World Affairs Over Past 25 Years, But Many Feel Our Influence Has Been Reduced

More than 4-in-10 Canadians (42%) are of the view that Canada has more influence in world affairs today than was the case 25 years ago; 17% feel our country has "much more influence" today than in the past. However, as significant minority of people in the country (27%) believes that Canada has "less influence" in world affairs today 25 years ago, including 10% who believe we have "much less influence". Overall, 27% of Canadians see no change in our influence on the global stage.

While this general pattern of views is held consistently across all regions and demographic groups in the population, there are some significant variations. Regionally, for example, Quebec residents are more likely than those elsewhere in the country to feel that Canada has "more influence" today than 25 years ago; 52% of Quebeckers hold this view, compared to just 28% of British Columbians, 35% of Albertans, and 41% of Ontario residents.

Demographically, older Canadians (55+) are more likely than those 35-54 years of age to see an improvement in the level of influence we play on the world stage (47% vs. 39%). The same is true for women (46% more influence vs. 37% of men). On the other hand, university graduates are more likely than those with less formal education to believe Canada's influence has diminished from 25 years ago, especially compared to those with a high school degree (34% vs. 19%, respectively).

Canadians Hold Positive Views Of Canada's Role On Human Rights, And International Aid, But Less Positive Than 8 Years Ago

Fully 87% of Canadians hold the view that Canada is a world leader in working for peace and human rights around the world. This includes 47% who "strongly agree" with this assertion. These findings show that Canadian public opinion has become less positive than was the case in 1997, when fully 94% of Canadians in an Ipsos Reid Canada & the World study saw Canada as a world leader role in peace and human rights, and a solid majority (57%) felt strongly in this regard.

Further, in 2005, 85% of the Canadian public believes that Canada is a generous country when it comes to giving aid to poorer countries. More than 4-in-10 - 44% - hold this view strongly.

Here again, Canadians express less positive views today than 8 years ago in the same 1997 study. Back then, 94% of the public saw Canada as being generous in its international aid, with 59% having a strong view in this regard.

Regionally, Atlantic Canadians are more likely than those living elsewhere in the country to hold such positive views of the role Canada plays in human rights (95%) and international aid (97%).

Demographically, Canadians under 55 years of age hold stronger positive views of Canada's role in working for peace and human rights than those 55+ (89% vs. 83%, respectively). Further, Canadians living in lower and middle income households (

More Than 8-In-10 Canadians Favour An Independent Foreign Policy Even If It Creates Problems With The U. S.

Fully 83% of the Canadian public agrees with the sentiment that "Canada should pursue its own independent policies even if this leads to certain problems in our relations with the United States". A majority - 56% - strongly agrees with this assertion.

Regionally, this sentiment is shared most strongly in British Columbia (63% strongly agree), Atlantic Canada (62%), and Ontario (58%), and less so in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (43%) From a demographic perspective, education level does condition responses to some degree; 61% of university graduates "strongly agree" that Canada should pursue an independent foreign policy compared to less than half (46%) of those with less than a high school degree.

Most Canadians Place Importance On Canada's Role As A Mediator In Foreign Conflicts

Fully 82% of Canadian agrees that one of Canada's most important roles in world affairs is as a mediator in conflicts involving other countries. Close to 4-in-10 (39%) share this view strongly.

While this same view is held across all regions in the country, Canadians in Alberta (55%), Atlantic Canada (52%), Ontario (43%), and British Columbia (44%) are more likely than others to "strongly agree" that this is an important role for Canada to play.

Demographically, men (44%) more than women (35%) strongly agree that Canada has an important role to play as a mediator in international conflicts. And, university graduates are more likely to share this position than those with less formal education (45% strongly agree vs. 30% of those with less than a high school degree).

Solid Majority Of Canadians Feel The Federal Government Should Give A Higher Priority To Our Foreign Policy

Close to 7-in-10 Canadians (69%) believe the federal government "should give a higher priority to our foreign policy". This includes 26% who strongly agree with this position.

Regionally, Atlantic Canadians are far more likely than those living in the rest of the country to want to see greater emphasis on Canada's foreign policy. Fully 86% hold this view, compared to two-thirds in all other regions.

Demographically, university graduates (72%) and those with some post-secondary education (71%) are more likely to share this position than those with less formal education (56% of those with less than a high school degree).

Canadians Believe Canada's Top Priorities In International Affairs Should Focus On Poverty, The Environment, The UN, And Human Rights

When asked which activities Canada should give priority to on the global stage, a majority of Canadians placed "helping to reduce hunger and poverty around the world" at the top of their list. Fully 54% ranked this as one of their top three priorities, with one-quarter giving putting it in first place.

In a second tier of priorities, Canadians give top ranking to three specific activities: "helping to improve the world's environment" (39% rank this as one of the top three priorities, 14% first priority); "working actively within the UN to promote international cooperation" (36%, 13%); and "taking action to stop violations of human rights in other countries" (32%, 10%).

In a third tier, close to 3-in-10 Canadians feel Canada should give importance to pursuing activities in two other areas. Twenty-eight percent rank "taking diplomatic action to oppose international terrorism" among their top three priorities (6% first priority); and 27% felt Canada should give priority to "committing Canadian forces to international peacekeeping missions" (7% first priority).

Further down the list, 1-in-5 or fewer Canadians believe Canada should give priority to action in four other areas on the global stage. These include: "improving relations with the United States" (21% feel this should be one of the top three priorities, 7% first priority); "pursuing international trade agreements" (20%, 8%); "pursuing international nuclear disarmament" (17%, 4%); and "using military force to oppose international terrorism" (12%, 4%).

Across Canada, there are statistically significant differences between regions, and between some demographic groups when it comes to which actions top the list of what Canadians believe should be given priority in the international arena.

Regionally, we find the following differences.

• British Columbians are more inclined than others to feel Canada should give priority to "pursuing international trade agreements" (29% choose this as one of their top three priorities, vs. 10% in Atlantic Canada, 17% in Quebec, 20% Ontario), and "working actively within the UN to promote international cooperation" (46% vs. 27% in Saskatchewan/Manitoba, 29% in Atlantic Canada).
• Quebec residents are more likely than others to put "pursuing international disarmament" in their top three list of priority activities (24% vs. 10% in BC, 13% in Alberta).
• Atlantic Canadians, more than others, believe "using military force to oppose international terrorism" should be among the top three international actions to which Canada should give priority (25% vs. 8% in BC, 10% in Ontario, and 12% in Quebec).

Demographically, there appears to be some variation in the priorities people choose based on age and gender.

• Younger Canadians (aged 18 to 34) are more likely than their middle-aged and older counterparts to feel Canada's top three international priorities should include "helping to reduce poverty and hunger around the world" (60% vs. 52% of those 35+); "working to improve the world's environment" (43% vs. 33% of those 55+); and "taking actions to stop violations of human rights in other countries" (37% vs. 29% of those 35+).
• To contrast, older Canadians (55+) are more likely to feel that "improving relations with the United States" should be among Canada's top three priorities in foreign affairs (26% vs. 15% of those 18-34).
• Canadian men are more likely than women to give a top three ranking to "pursuing international trade agreements" (25% vs. 15% of women); "improving relations with the United States" (25% vs. 17%); and using military force to oppose international terrorism" (15% vs. 9%).

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid telephone poll conducted on behalf of the University of Ottawa from October 4th to 7th, 2005 with a randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Canadian residents aged 18 or older. 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 Canadian adult population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within provincial breakdowns and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Daniel Savas
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos Reid Corporation
604.893.1610
[email protected]

Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada--including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country--all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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