SEVEN-IN-TEN (72%) CANADIANS SUPPORT U.S. LED AIR STRIKES ON TERRORIST TARGETS IN AFGHANISTAN

Six-in-Ten (62%) Support Prime Minister Jean Chretien's Handling of Canadian Response to Terrorist Attacks

Toronto, ON - According to an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll released today, seven-in-ten (72%) Canadians support the U.S.-led air strikes on Taliban military sites and Osama bin Laden's terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. This support however also comes with worries of possible terrorist attacks here in Canada.

Two-thirds (66%) of Canadians are concerned that Canadian involvement in the `War on Terrorism' in Afghanistan could result in possible terrorist attacks, including biological or chemical attacks, aimed at civilians in Canada. One-quarter (23%) are concerned a "great deal". This compares to 55% of Canadians who agreed "there are terrorists within Canada who are just waiting to attack Canadian civilians" when asked in an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll conducted between, September 17th and 20th 2001.

Six-in-ten (62%) Canadians express approval of Prime Minister Jean Chretien's handling of Canada's response to last month's terrorist attacks and the military action now underway. This level of approval is consistent with the Prime Minister's overall approval level* noted in an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll conducted between September 25th and September 27th 2001 (63% approval versus 33% disapproval).

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll conducted between October 10th and October 14th, 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.

Support for the current actions in the `War on Terrorism' is high. Seven-in-ten (72%) Canadians support the U.S.-led air strikes on the Taliban government military sites and on Osama bin Laden's terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.

• Support is highest in Alberta (84%). Followed by Saskatchewan and Manitoba (77%), Atlantic Canada (76%) and Ontario and British Columbia (both at 75%). Support is lowest in Quebec (60%).
• Men (80%) are more likely to support the current actions than women (64%).
• Those in the highest household income bracket (76%) are more likely than those in the middle (73%) or lowest brackets (67%) to support the actions.

This compares with an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll conducted between September 17th and 20th 2001, just after the attacks in New York and Washington. At the time, 73% of Canadians agreed that "We should join the United States and also declare war on international terrorism".

However, this support also comes with some concerns regarding Canada's involvement. Two-thirds (66%) of Canadians are concerned that Canadian involvement in the `War on Terrorism' in Afghanistan could result in possible terrorist attacks, including biological or chemical attacks, aimed at civilians in Canada. One-quarter (23%) are concerned a "great deal". This compares to 55% of Canadians who agreed "there are terrorists within Canada who are just waiting to attack Canadian civilians" when asked in the Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll conducted between, September 17th and 20th 2001.

• This concern is higher among women (77%) than men (54%). In fact, a one-third of Canadian women (31% versus 14% of men) are concerned "a great deal".
• Concern regarding attacks is higher among those with less than high school education (75%) and lowest among university graduates (55%).
• Albertians (70%) are more likely to be concerned that those in other regions, while their neighbours in British Columbia (61%) are the least likely to be concerned.

Six-in-ten (62%) of Canadians express approval of Prime Minister Jean Chretien's handling of Canada's response to last month's terrorist attacks and the military action now underway.

• Approval is highest in Atlantic Canada (74%) and lowest in Alberta (53%) where concern regarding possible terrorist attacks is highest (70%).
• Younger and middle aged Canadians (64%) are more likely to approve of the Prime Ministers performance than older Canadians (58%).

This level of approval is consistent with the Prime Minister's overall approval level* noted in an Ipsos-Reid/Globe and Mail/CTV poll conducted between September 25th and September 27th 2001 (63% approval versus 33% disapproval).

*Questions asked not identical. Overall approval question asked was "Thinking of Jean Chretien, would you say you generally approve or disapprove of the way he has performed as Prime Minister?"

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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