Half (51%) of Canadians Believe Khadr Should Serve All (25%) or Some (26%) of his Sentence in Canada
But Seven in Ten (69%) Believe Khadr is Probably Guilty and Plea Bargain is Too Generous
The country is split along regional lines as well, with a majority or those living in Alberta (58%), British Columbia (54%) and Ontario (52%) believing he should serve `none' of his sentence in Canada, while a majority of those living in Atlantic Canada (61%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (59%) and Quebec (57%) believe he should be able to spend `some' or `all' of his time in Canada.
Omar Khadr is a Canadian citizen who was captured by U.S. troops after a firefight in Afghanistan and held in Guantanamo Bay for the last seven years. After maintaining his innocence since being captured, as part of a plea bargain he has recently pleaded guilty to being a member of al-Qaeda, participating in acts of terrorism and murdering an American soldier. The plea bargain was agreed upon by both the Canadian and American governments and includes a provision which could allow him to serve some of his sentence in Canada, where prison conditions are better than in Guantanamo Bay and the minimum amount of time served before being eligible for parole is much lower than in the United States.
In what came as a surprise to many, Omar Khadr appeared to experience a change of heart having pleaded guilty after vehemently asserting his innocence since being incarcerated. Perhaps looking at the plea bargain with a sceptical eye, three in ten (31%) Canadians believe that `Omar Khadr probably is not guilty and was forced into the plea bargain as his only option to be released someday after serving his sentence, and that the Canadian Government should have been offering him more assistance prior to this point'.
However, the majority (69%) of Canadians more closely believe that `Khadr probably is guilty and this plea bargain is too generous, and that the Canadian government was right not to have offered him any assistance up to this point'.
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between October 29 and November 1, 2010, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,046 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
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.
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 2009, Ipsos generated global revenues of e943.7 million ($1.33 billion U.S.). .
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