WESTERN CANADA ON QUEBEC SOVEREIGNTY

169 Angus Reid Group, Inc. Public Release Date: Monday, November 29,1999

This Angus Reid/Globe and Mail poll was conducted by telephone between September 29th and October 17th, 1999. A total of 2,800 adults (B.C. 800; Alberta 800; Saskatchewan 600; Manitoba 600) in Western Canada were surveyed.

These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional, age and sex composition reflects that of the actual Western Canadian population. With a sample of this size, the overall results are within 1771.9 percentage points (19 times out of 20) of what they would have been had the entire adult Western Canadian population been polled. For the B.C. and Alberta subsamples the margin of error is 1773.5%. For the Saskatchewan and Manitoba subsamples the margin of error is 1774.0%. The margin of error will be larger within other sub-groupings of the survey population.

The Prime Minister waded back into the Quebec Sovereignty issue this past week by declaring that he intends to introduce legislation at some point in the future to ensure that if faced with a referendum, Quebecers have "a clear question" on which to decide, and a "clear majority" before the rest of Canadians would recognized a bid for Quebec sovereignty. According to this Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail poll released today, 86% of Western Canadians agree that "the Federal Government should pass legislation to ensure that Quebecers are asked a clear question in the next referendum". Western Canadians feel strongly about this issue. Two-thirds (67%) of Western Canadians say they "strongly agree" with the Federal Government passing legislation to ensure that Quebecers are asked a clear question in the next referendum. Another one in five (20%) say they "moderately agree" with this approach.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of Western Canadians agree that the rest of Canada should only recognize a positive vote for Quebec sovereignty if there is a clear majority of Quebecers who support it. This figure includes 43% who "strongly agree" that "the rest of Canada should only recognize Quebec sovereignty if there is a clear majority of Quebecers who support it". Twenty-eight percent "moderately agree" with this statement.

These are the primary findings of a poll undertaken by the Angus Reid Group. The poll was conducted between September 29th and October 17th, 1999 among a randomly selected sample of 2,800 adults living in Western Canada (B.C.; Alberta; Saskatchewan; Manitoba) and has an associated margin of error of 1771.9 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

86% of Western Canadians agrees that the Federal Government should pass legislation to ensure that Quebecers are asked a clear question in the next referendum.
Almost nine in ten (86%) Western Canadians agree that "the Federal Government should pass legislation to ensure that Quebecers are asked a clear question in the next referendum". Only 13% disagree with passing legislation to ensure that Quebecers are asked a clear question.

• These results are consistent across age, gender and regional differences.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of Western Canadians agree that the rest of Canada should only recognize a positive vote for Quebec sovereignty if there is a clear majority of Quebecers who support it.
Almost three-quarters (72%) of Western Canadians agree that "the rest of Canada should only recognize a positive vote for Quebec sovereignty if there is a clear majority of Quebecers who support it". Less than three in ten (27%) disagree with only recognizing Quebec sovereignty if there is a clear majority of Quebecers who support it.

• Although the majority support only accepting Quebec sovereignty if there is a clear majority of Quebecers who support it, residents of B.C. (25%) and Alberta (25%) are slightly less likely to disagree than residents of Saskatchewan (31%) and Manitoba (31%) with only recognizing Quebec sovereignty if there is a clear majority of Quebecers who support it.
• Men (74%) are slightly more likely than women (69%) to agree that Quebec sovereignty should only be recognized if there is a clear majority of support in Quebec.
• There is no significant variation across age groups.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Tim Olafson
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(403) 237-0066