Three Quarters (73%) of Canadians Support Use of Canadian Ground Troops in the War Against ISIS to Stop it From Gaining Own State

Toronto, ON - A solid majority of Canadians support the use of Canadian Forces ground troops in the war against ISIS if it will help prevent ISIS from gaining its own state, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Global News.

Three quarters (73%) `agree' (31% strongly/41% somewhat) that `we should do everything possible to prevent ISIS from getting its own state, even if it means putting Canadian soldiers on the ground in Iraq'. One quarter (27%) of Canadians `disagree' (7% strongly/20% somewhat) that we should do everything possible to stop ISIS from gaining its own state, up to and including using Canadian ground troops.'

Nearly four in ten (36%) believe that ISIS is the biggest global threat to peace and security, while one quarter (24%) believes homegrown, radicalized terrorists in our own country represent the biggest threat. Two in ten (18%) believe that terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda remain the biggest threat to global peace and security. Interestingly, nation states are named by far fewer Canadians as the most pressing threat, including Russia (7%), North Korea (5%), Iran (2%) or Syria (1%). One in ten (8%) say some other entity represents the biggest security threat.

Fighting against terrorist organizations can often be more difficult than traditional wars against nation states because the target is not often apparent or is in hiding. Despite these challenges, seven in ten (71%) Canadians `agree' (23% strongly/48% somewhat) that `the coalition of allies can win the war against ISIS', while three in ten (29%) `disagree' (7% strongly/22% somewhat) that the war can be won.

The data reveal that a majority of Canadians from every demographic group studied believe Canada should do everything it can to prevent ISIS from gaining its own state, including using Canadian ground troops in Iraq against ISIS:

• Residents of Atlantic Canada (80%) are most likely to support the use of ground troops to stop ISIS, followed by those living in Alberta (75%), BC (73%), Quebec (73%), Ontario (71%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (70%). Historically, support for combat missions including Canadian soldiers is much lower among Quebecers, but in this case Quebec is in the middle of the pack.
• Those 55 and older are most likely (80%) to support the use of Canadian troops on the ground, followed by those aged 35 to 54 (71%) and 18 to 34 (66%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 16 to 19, 2014 on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,005 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to 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. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 3.5 percentage points had all Canadians adults 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 an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers 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 and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

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