CANADIANS DIVIDED OVER ALBERTA'S OIL WINDFALL

Toronto, ON - With its debt paid off and a large budget surplus brought on by high oil prices, Alberta's fiscal position is the envy of other provinces. A recent Ipsos Reid/CanWest Global survey of on-line Canadian voters shows they are divided over whether Alberta should share its oil windfall with the rest of Canada (55%) or whether it should "keep the extra money to spend on provincial priorities" (45%) . But despite increasing concerns about fiscal inequality between the provinces, most (68%) do not believe that Alberta's oil wealth poses a threat to Canada's federal system.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid survey conducted for CanWest News Service/Global News on December 12th, 2005. A total of 2933 on-line Canadian voters were surveyed via the internet, yielding results which are accurate to within 177 1.8% (19 times out of 20). The data were statistically weighted to ensure that the sample's age, sex, regional and party support composition reflects that of the actual Canadian voter population. The sample was drawn from a pre-recruited panel of over 12,000 voters drawn from Ipsos Reid's internet panel.

Slim Majority (55%) Says Alberta Should Share its Extra Revenue from Oil While 45% Say Alberta Should Keep It

As Alberta benefits from record high oil prices, many have been suggesting that this increased revenue be shared with the rest of Canada. Canadian voters are divided on the matter with 55% saying "Alberta should share this extra money with the rest of Canada" and 45% saying that "Alberta should keep this extra money to spend on provincial priorities."

• But, there is a prominent East/West split on the issue. A majority in each of the four western provinces - BC (53%), Alberta (86%) and Manitoba/Saskatchewan (59%) says Alberta should keep its oil windfall while almost two-thirds in the Eastern provinces - Ontario (62%), Quebec (66%) and Atlantic Canada (62%) - say that Alberta should share this extra money with the rest of Canada.
• Women (59%) are more likely than men (51%) to say that Alberta should share its extra oil revenue.

But Most (68%) Do Not Think Alberta's Oil Wealth Poses a Threat to Canada's Federal System

While Alberta's fiscal position may create some envy in the rest of the country, most Canadian voters (68%) do not think that Alberta's oil wealth poses a threat to Canada's federal system. In contrast, one-third (32%) say it does pose a threat to Canada's federal system.

• Quebecers (48%) are the most likely to say Alberta's oil wealth does pose a threat to Canada's federal system while perhaps not surprisingly, Albertans (17%) are the least likely.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Dr.Darrell Bricker
President & COO
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.324.2900
[email protected]

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.324.2900
[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.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

Ipsos
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