Just Two in Ten (18%, Up 1 Point) Say
Senate Should Stay the Way It Is
Fully one in three (33%) Canadians want to see the senate done away with completely. By comparison, a 2007 Ipsos Reid poll revealed that 26% of those who had an opinion wanted to do away with the Senate.
The most popular option for the Senate is reform, with one half (49%) of Canadians indicating that their preference is to have an elected Senate. With more Canadians now favouring abolishment than before, fewer Canadians now than in 2007 (57%) favour reform.
Senate reform has been in the news a lot recently, with NDP Leader Jack Layton arguing that the Senate is simply a reward for party faithful, campaign strategists, and failed candidates of the governing party. His ultimate goal is to abolish the Senate, a concept that is gaining steam among the Canadian public, but has said he will settle with reform, the more popular concept.
Doing away with the Senate is most popular in Quebec (45%), followed by Atlantic Canada (35%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (33%), Ontario (29%), British Columbia (28%) and Alberta (23%).
Those most likely to favour an elected Senate are Albertans (59%), British Columbians (54%), Ontarians (51%) and those living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (51%). A minority of Atlantic Canadians (46%) and Quebecers (39%) favour an elected Senate.
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between January 24 to 27, 2011, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,006 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 who drive and have a car 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:
Darrell Bricker
CEO
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2001
[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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