Two Thirds (65%) Say Federal Government Should Delay Extradition Of Karlheinz Schreiber Until Newly Announced Public Inquiry Is Concluded

Ottawa, ON - As the Schreiber-Mulroney Affair continues to instigate heated debate in the House of Commons and the news media, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television finds that two thirds (65%) of Canadians agree that `the federal government should delay the extradition of Karlheinz Schreiber' until the newly-announced public inquiry is concluded. On the other hand, three in ten (31%) disagree that the government should delay his extradition.

Furthermore, 62% believe that `this investigation is a waste of taxpayers money' and that `we won't find out anything we don't already know' about the Schreiber-Mulroney connection. Four in ten (36%) disagree that this investigation is a waste and will not reveal anything new. In fact, 61% believe that the investigation will lead to `no firm conclusions', while only one third (33%) believe that the investigation will `finally get to the bottom of these allegations'.

Similarly, six in ten (62%) Canadians indicate that `there is no reason to have a public inquiry on these issues' and that `it should just have been handed over to the RCMP for a proper investigation'. Four in ten (36%) disagree that the RCMP should be handling this investigation, not a public inquiry.

Thinking about the allegations that Schreiber has targeted upon former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, four in ten (42%) agree that `Karlheinz Schreiber is only trying to prevent his extradition' and that `there is no truth behind his allegations about Mr. Mulroney'. However, a slightly higher proportion (45%) disagree that this is the case.

But only three in ten (27%) Canadians would agree that they `believe Brian Mulroney when he says that nothing inappropriate took place between him and Karlheinz Schreiber', leaving a vast majority (67%) disagreeing with this statement.

Six in ten (61%) believe that `Prime Minister Harper has done a good job of managing this issue', while only one third (34%) do not think that he has managed it well. However, thinking about the investigation that occurred in the 90s and the money that was awarded to Mulroney as a result, a majority (52%) disagrees that `this issue was already settled in the 90s' and that `there is no legitimate reason to open it up again'. Nearly one half (45%), though, agree with this position.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television from Nov 20 to Nov 22, 2007. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1000 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. 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 population of Canada been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

Regional Highlights...

Two thirds (65%) of Canadians agree (37% strongly/28% somewhat) that `the federal government should delay the extradition of Karlheinz Schreiber until this investigation is concluded', while one third (31%) disagrees (19% strongly/13% somewhat).

• Canadians across the country are quite consistent in their views that the extradition of Karlheinz Schreiber should be delayed. Two thirds (67%) of residents in Quebec and Ontario agree that this appropriate, followed by 63% of Albertans, 62% of residents in Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and 61% of British Columbians.

Four in ten (42%) Canadians agree (14% strongly/28% somewhat) that `Karlheinz Schreiber is only trying to prevent his extradition to Germany' and that `there is truth behind his allegations about Mr. Mulroney'. Forty-five percent (45%) disagree (19% strongly/26% somewhat) with this position.

• Residents of Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are the most likely (49%) to believe that Schreiber is only trying to prevent his extradition, followed by those living in Ontario (46%), Alberta (45%), British Columbia (37%) and Quebec (34%).

Six in ten (62%) agree (39% strongly/23% somewhat) that `this investigation is a waste of taxpayers money' and that `we won't find out anything we don't already know'. Four in ten (36%) disagree (strongly 15%/22% somewhat) that this is the case.

• Two thirds (65%) of Albertans, Ontarians and residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba agree that the investigation is a waste of taxpayers money and that it won't lead to anything, followed by Canadians living in Atlantic Canada (64%), and Quebec (63%). Just 47% of British Columbians believe that this is the case, though.

Six in ten (61%) more closely believe that the public inquiry will `lead to no firm conclusions', compared to the one third (33%) who believe that it will `finally get to the bottom of these allegations'.

• Two thirds (66%) of Ontarians agree that the public inquiry will lead to no firm conclusions, followed by six in ten (60%) residents of Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and Quebec, and 59% of Albertans. However, just 47% believe that it the inquiry will not lead to firm conclusions.

Six in ten (62%) Canadians agree (strongly 35%/27% somewhat) that `there is no reason to have a public inquiry on these issues' and that `it should just be handed over to the RCMP for a proper investigation. Four in ten (36%) would disagree (21% strongly/15% somewhat) with this sentiment.

• Seven in ten (68%) Quebecers agree that there is no reason to have a public inquiry on these issues and that it should be the RCMP dealing with this issues, compared to 64% of Ontarians, 62% of residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and Atlantic Canada, and 60% of Albertans. Once again, just 47% of British Columbians agree that there should not be a public inquiry and that the RCMP should deal with the issue.

Just three in ten (27%) Canadians agree (8% strongly/19% somewhat) that they `believe Brian Mulroney when he says that nothing inappropriate took place between him and Karlheinz Schreiber'. A vast majority (67%), on the other hand, disagree (37% strongly/30% somewhat) that they believe Mulroney.

• Three in ten (30%) Ontarians believe Mulroney when he says that nothing inappropriate happened between him and Schreiber. Fewer Albertans (28%), Atlantic Canadians (26%), Quebecers (25%), residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (25%), and British Columbia (22%) believe this as well.

Six in ten (61%) across the country agree (19% strongly/42% somewhat) that `Prime Minister Harper has done a good job of managing this issue', while one third (34%) disagree (14% strongly/19% somewhat) with this position.

• Seven in ten (71%) residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba agree that the Prime Minister has done a good job handling this situation, followed by Canadians living in Alberta (64%), Ontario (63%), BC (57%), Quebec (57%) and Atlantic Canada (54%).

Only a minority (45%) agrees (24% strongly/21% somewhat) that `this issue was already settled in the mid 90s' and that `there is no legitimate reason to open it up again'. Conversely, a majority (52%) disagrees (28% strongly/23% somewhat) with this sentiment.

• Residents of Ontario are most likely (51%) to agree that this issue was already settled in the 90s and that there is no reason to re-open the issue. However, residents of Alberta (47%), Atlantic Canada (46%), Quebec (44%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (43%), and British Columbia (32%) are less inclined to agree.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Dr. Darrell Bricker
President and COO
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.

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 2006, Ipsos generated global revenues of 857.1 million euros ($1.1 billion USD).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

Ipsos, listed on the Eurolist of Euronext - Comp B, is part of SBF 120 and the Mid-100 Index, adheres to the Next Prime segment and is eligible to the Deferred Settlement System. Isin FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP