Health Care (36%) Increases 14 Points to Return as Most Important Issue Facing the Country According to CanadiansHowever, Terrorist Attacks/National Security (33%), Despite Dropping Seven Points, Remains a Major Concern

Toronto, ONTARIO - According to an Ipsos-Reid/Globe &Mail/CTV poll released today, over one-third (36%) of Canadians believe that health care is the top issue facing the country. In a rebound since the September 11th attacks, the healthcare issue is up 14 points since October (22%) and returns to its position as the top item on the agenda facing the country according to Canadians.

Two months after the attacks, Canadians appear to be regaining their equilibrium. While the terrorist attacks and national security (33%) remain near the top of the national agenda, the issue has decreased seven points since October (40%).

While daily reminders of an economic downturn across the continent emerge, one-quarter (23%, down 3 points since October) of Canadians cite the economy as an issue that needs the attention of Canada's leaders.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll conducted between November 13th and 15th, 2001. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Canadians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions 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 1996 Census data.

More than one-third (36%) of Canadians believe that health care is the top issue facing the country. Up 14 points since October (22%), health care returns to its position as the top item on the agenda facing the country according to Canadians.

• Regionally, those in Quebec (41%), Ontario (37%) and Atlantic Canada (37%) are more likely to cite health care as top issue. This compares to those in British Columbia (31%), Alberta (30%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (30%).
• A gender gap exists regarding health cares as an important issue facing the country. Women (43%) are 14 points more likely than men (29%) to mention this issue.
• Canadians, 55 years of age or older (42%) are more likely than their younger counterparts, those aged 18 to 34 (33%) or 35 to 54 (34%) to cite healthcare as a top issue.

Two months after the attacks, Canadians appear to be regaining their equilibrium. While terrorist attacks and national security (33%) remain near the top of the national agenda, the issue has decreased seven points since October (40%). As well, other issues that arose out of the attacks appear to have diminished in importance. For example, immigration (6%) as a top concern now has decreased seven points since October, while defense/military (8%) dropped three points since October.

• Regionally, residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (42%) and Alberta (41%) are more likely to mention national security and terrorism as an issue, followed by those in Atlantic Canada (34%), Ontario (33%) and British Columbia (31%). Residents of Quebec (29%) are the least likely.
• Older (36%) and middle aged (35%) Canadians are more likely than younger (29%) Canadians to mention this as an issue.
• Women (34%) and men (33%) are equally as likely to cite terrorism/national security as an issue.

With daily reminders of an economic downturn occurring across the continent, one-quarter (23%, down 3 points since October) of Canadians cite the economy as an issue that needs the attention of Canada's leaders.

• Ontarians (26%) and those in Atlantic Canada (24%) are more likely to mention the economy as an issue. Followed by those in British Columbia (22%), Alberta (21%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (21%) and Quebec (20%).
• A gender gap also exists regarding this issue. Men (30%) are 14 points more likely to mention the economy as an issue than women (16%).
• Middle aged (27%) Canadians are more likely to cite the economy as an issue than older (21%) or younger (20%) Canadians.
• Canadians from the highest household income bracket (33%) are more likely than those in the middle (20%) or lowest household income (15%) bracket to mention the economy.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Public Affairs
Ipsos-Reid
(416) 324-2900

John Wright