Despite Shaky Economy, No Shake-Up In Party Support

Ottawa, ON - In a week where a string of economic bad news suggested that Canada might not avoid a recession or a severe downturn, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television reveals that, despite a shaky economic situation, Canadians have not shaken-up their political vote preferences.

The Conservatives under Prime Minister Harper continue to lead, receiving the support of 34% of decided voters (down 1 point), while the Liberals led by Stephane Dion remain 5-points behind at 29% support (down 1 point). Jack Layton and the NDP currently have 17% support among decided voters (up 1 point), and support for the Green Party has also increased by one point and now sits at 11% nationally. Six percent (6%) of voters are as of yet undecided.

Within volatile Quebec, Gilles Duceppe's Bloc is receiving 31% of the vote (down 2 points), while the Liberals (26%, up 3 points) and the Conservatives (20%, down 3 points) trail behind. The NDP sits at 17% (up 5 points), and the Green Party lags at 6% support (down 2 points).

In the key battleground of Ontario, the scene at the top has not changed. The Liberals remain at 38% support, while support for the Tories is also unchanged at 34%. The NDP (13%, down 2 points) and the Green Party (14%, up 2 points) are in a dead heat.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television from April 29 to May 1, 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.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Dr. Darrell Bricker
President & CEO
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
416-509-8460
[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.

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

About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2007, Ipsos generated global revenues of e927.2 million ($1.27 billion U.S.).

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