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For: Ipsos-Reid
Contact: Dr. = Darrell=20 Bricker, President & COO, Ipsos-Reid
Primary = Phone:=20 416-324-2900
E-mail: Darrell.Bricker@ipsos-reid= .com

Date issued: April 26, 2005
Time in: = 06:00=20 e

Attention: News Editor

61% AGREE WITH PM TO WAIT FOR REPORT & CALL = ELECTION=20 30 DAYS LATER
But PM=E2=80=99s Address To = Nation Fails To=20 Ignite Liberal Vote With Tories (34%, -1 Point) And = Liberals=20 (31%, +1 Point) Virtually Unchanged From = Pre-Address=20

Toronto, = Ontario, April=20 26 /PR Direct/ - MAJORITY (61%) AGREE WITH PM TO WAIT = FOR=20 GOMERY REPORT AND CALL AN ELECTION 30 DAYS LATER, ONLY = 34%=20 INDICATE SPRING ELECTION IS BEST FOR COUNTRY=20

But PM's Address To Nation Fails To Ignite Liberal = Vote=20 With Tories (34%, -1 Point) And Liberals (31%, +1 = Point)=20 Virtually Unchanged From Pre-Address=20

Half Of Canadians (49%) Believe PM's Address Was = Simply A=20 Cynical Attempt To Hang On To Power, 44% Believe He = Sincerely=20 Regrets Scandal And Serious About Cleaning Up = Corruption In=20 Ottawa=20

According to a new Ipsos-Reid poll launched the day = after=20 Prime Minister Paul Martin's nationally televised = address last=20 Thursday and provided exclusively to CanWest/Global, = the=20 majority of Canadians (61%) are in agreement with Paul = Martin=20 and believe that it would be best to wait for the = Gomery=20 Report and call an election 30 days later - only 34% = indicate=20 the Liberals have lost the moral authority to govern = and feel=20 Canada should have a spring election.=20

This despite the fact that half of Canadians (49%) = would=20 describe Paul Martin's statement to the Canadian = public on=20 Thursday night as a "cynical attempt to hang on to = power that=20 has come too late to be sincere". Forty-four percent = believe=20 he "sincerely regrets what happened with the = sponsorship=20 scandal, and is serious about cleaning up corruption = in=20 Ottawa".=20

As for the vote, if an election were held today, = 34% of the=20 decided vote would be go to the Conservative Party (-1 = point),=20 31% would go to the Liberals (+1 point), 18% would go = to the=20 NDP (unchanged), and 5% would go to the Green Party=20 (unchanged). None of these changes represents a = statistically=20 significant movement in voter support.=20

And finally, when Canadians were asked whether = their=20 opinions of the various major parties and their = leaders has=20 improved, stayed the same, or worsened over the last = few=20 weeks: Jack Layton and the NDP (+12 points) are the = only one=20 that have a positive "momentum score", while Stephen = Harper=20 and the Conservative Party have neither positive nor = negative=20 momentum. Meanwhile, Paul Martin and the Liberal Party = (-40=20 points) currently has very negative momentum among the = Canadian public.=20

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll = provided=20 exclusively to CanWest/Global and conducted from April = 22nd to=20 April 24th, 2005. For the survey, a representative = randomly=20 selected sample of 1000 adult Canadians were = interviewed by=20 telephone. With a sample of this size, the aggregate = results=20 are considered accurate to within =C2=B13.1 percentage = points, 19=20 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the = entire=20 adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of = error=20 will be larger within each sub-grouping of the survey=20 population. These data were weighted to ensure the = sample's=20 regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the = actual=20 Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data. =

Majority (61%) Agree With PM To Wait For Gomery = Report And=20 Call An Election 30 Days Later=E2=80=A6=20

A majority of Canadians (61%) say that they agree = with=20 Prime Minister Paul Martin and that "it is best for = Canada if=20 we wait until Judge Gomery issues his report on the=20 sponsorship program this fall, and then call an = election 30=20 days after". Only one-third (34%) agree with Stephen = Harper=20 and Gilles Duceppe and feel that the "Liberal = government has=20 lost its moral authority to govern and that an = election this=20 spring would be best for Canada". Four percent of = Canadians=20 "don't know".=20

=C2=B7Agreement with Paul Martin's position that an = election=20 should be held off until after the Gomery Report is = highest in=20 Atlantic Canada (71%), British Columbia (66%), and = Ontario=20 (66%).
=C2=B7Feelings that we should have a spring = election run=20 highest in Alberta (49%), Quebec (40%), and=20 Saskatchewan/Manitoba (40%).
=C2=B7Strong = majorities of Liberal=20 supporters (87%) and NDP supporters (70%) agree with = Paul=20 Martin's position to hold-off the election, while good = majorities of Bloc Quebecois supporters (60%) and = Conservative=20 Party supporters (57%) feel we should have an election = this=20 spring.=20

Half (49%) Of Canadians Believe PM's Address Was = Simply A=20 Cynical Attempt To Hang On To Power=E2=80=A6=20

When thinking about Paul Martin's statement to the = Canadian=20 public on Thursday night, half of Canadians (49%) say = they=20 would describe this as a "cynical attempt to hang on = to power=20 that has come too late to be sincere", 44% believe he=20 "sincerely regrets what happened with the sponsorship = scandal,=20 and is serious about cleaning up corruption in = Ottawa", and a=20 further 7% "don't know".=20

=C2=B7Residents of Alberta (63%), Quebec (59%), and = Saskatchewan/Manitoba (51%) are the most likely to = believe=20 Paul Martin's address was shrouded in cynicism, and so = are=20 Conservative Party (67%) and Bloc Quebecois (77%) = supporters.=20
=C2=B7Residents of Ontario and British Columbia = (both at 50%),=20 and Atlantic Canada (48%) are the most likely to = believe that=20 Paul Martin is genuinely remorseful and wants to = clean-up=20 corruption in Ottawa - 74% of Liberal Party supporters = feel=20 this way.=20

PM's Address To Nation Fails To Ignite Liberal Vote = With=20 Tories (34%, -1 Point) And Liberals (31%, +1 Point) = Virtually=20 Unchanged=E2=80=A6=20

If an election were held today, 34% of the decided = vote=20 would go to the Conservative Party (-1 point), 31% = would go to=20 the Liberals (+1 point), 18% would go to the NDP = (unchanged),=20 and 5% would go to the Green Party (unchanged). None = of these=20 changes represents a statistically significant = movement in=20 voter support.=20

Among all Canadians, 11% are undecided or refused = to say=20 whom they would vote for if an election were held = today (-4=20 points).=20

The National Vote=E2=80=A6=20

Parties Election Results June 28, 2004 April 8-10, = 2005=20 April 12-14, 2005 April 19-21, 2005 April 22-24, 2005 = Movement=20 From Last Poll Since 2004 Election

The = Conservative=20 Party 30% 30% 36% 35% 34% -1% 4%
The Liberals 37% = 27% 27%=20 30% 31% 1% -6%
The New Democratic Party 16% 19% = 15% 18%=20 18% 0% 2%
The Bloc Quebecois 12% 12% 10% 12% 11% = -1% -1%=20
The Green Party 4% 7% 7% 5% 5% 0% 1%=20

Among Bloc Quebecois Voters: 58% Say They Would = Vote For=20 The Bloc To Separate Quebec From Canada - Meaning That = 26% Of=20 Decided Voters In Quebec Are Primarily Casting Their = Ballot=20 For Separatist Intentions=E2=80=A6=20

As part of the survey, Ipsos-Reid interviewers = asked those=20 who said they would cast their ballot in support of = the Bloc=20 Quebecois, why they were supporting this party.=20

Fifty-eight percent of Bloc Quebecois supporters = say they=20 are voting for the Bloc Quebecois mostly because they = support=20 their plan to separate Quebec from Canada - meaning = that among=20 all decided voters in Quebec, 26% are casting their = ballot=20 primarily with separatist intentions. Four in ten = offer=20 another reason for voting for the Bloc, including 22% = who say=20 they would vote for the Bloc Quebecois because they = want to=20 punish Paul Martin and the Liberals -- 18% offer some = "other"=20 reason.=20

One percent don't know why they are voting for the = Bloc.=20

Regional Highlights=E2=80=A6=20

=C2=B7In Ontario, the Federal political landscape = has remained=20 static, with Conservatives (39%, - 1 point), Liberal = (35%, -1=20 point), NDP (20%, unchanged), and Green Party (5%, +1 = point)=20 support being stable.
=C2=B7In Quebec, the Bloc = Quebecois=20 continues to dominate the Federal landscape (44%, -7 = points)=20 but has slipped slightly, while the Liberals (28%, +8 = points)=20 have made some gains. Importantly, the Conservative = Party sits=20 at 14% support in this province (unchanged). =
=C2=B7In British=20 Columbia the Conservatives (36%, +3 points) lead, = followed by=20 the NDP (32%, +5 points), the Liberals (23%, - 2 = points), and=20 the Green Party (9%, - 4 points).
=C2=B7In = Alberta, 60% of=20 decided votes are in support of the Conservatives (+ 3 = points), tripling the support for the Liberals (20%, = -6=20 points) -while the NDP (9%, -3 points), and the Green = Party=20 (8%, +3 points) trail.
=C2=B7In = Saskatchewan/Manitoba, the=20 Conservatives lead (44%, -8 points), followed by the = Liberals=20 (30%, +4 points), the NDP (20%, +1 point), and the = Green Party=20 (1%, -2 points).
=C2=B7In Atlantic Canada, the = Liberals (44%,=20 unchanged) lead, followed by the Conservatives (28%, = -8=20 points), the NDP (23%, +5 points), and the Green Party = (3%, +1=20 point).

Please Refer To The Table Below To = Review Each=20 Region:
Parties Ontario
April 19-21, 2005 = April 22-24,=20 2005 Change

The Conservative Party 40% 39% -1 =
The=20 Liberals 36% 35% -1
The NDP 20% 20% 0
The = Green Party=20 4% 5% +1=20

Parties Quebec
April 19-21, 2005 April 22-24, = 2005=20 Change

The Conservative Party 14% 14% 0 =
The=20 Liberals 20% 28% +8
The NDP 11% 8% -3
The Bloc = Quebecois 51% 44% -7
The Green Party 5% 3% -2=20

Parties British Columbia
April 19-21, 2005 = April 22-24,=20 2005 Change

The Conservative Party 33% 36% +3 =
The=20 Liberals 25% 23% -2
The NDP 27% 32% +5
The = Green Party=20 13% 9% -4=20

Parties Alberta
April 19-21, 2005 April 22-24, = 2005=20 Change

The Conservative Party 57% 60% +3 =
The=20 Liberals 26% 20% -6
The NDP 12% 9% -3
The = Green Party=20 5% 8% +3=20

Saskatchewan/Manitoba
April 19-21, 2005 April = 22-24,=20 2005 Change

The Conservative Party 52% 44% -8 =
The=20 Liberals 26% 30% +4
The NDP 19% 20% +1
The = Green Party=20 3% 1% -2=20

Atlantic Canada
April 19-21, 2005 April 22-24, = 2005=20 Change

The Conservative Party 36% 28% -8 =
The=20 Liberals 44% 44% 0
The NDP 18% 23% +5
The = Green Party=20 2% 3% +1=20

When It Comes To Momentum: Martin (-40 Points) Is = Crashing,=20 Harper Is Even, While Layton (+12 Points) Is On The = Move=E2=80=A6=20

Canadians were asked whether their opinions of the = various=20 major parties and their leaders has improved, stayed = the same,=20 or worsened over the last few weeks:=20

When it comes to Paul Martin and the Liberal Party, = there=20 is a strong negative momentum (-40 points), as 15% say = their=20 opinion has improved, compared to 55% who say their = opinion=20 has worsened.=20

=C2=B7Negative momentum for Paul Martin and the = Liberal Party is=20 strongest in Alberta (-57 points) and Quebec (-55 = points).=20

Paul Martin and the Liberal Party National BC AB = SK/MN ON=20 QUE AT CP LIB NDP BQ Green
Improved 15% 19% 9% 16% = 16% 10%=20 28% 7% 33% 11% 3% 8%
Worsened 55% 53% 66% 56% 49% = 65% 45%=20 72% 30% 64% 83% 50%
No change 24% 24% 22% 24% 30% = 18% 18%=20 19% 31% 24% 11% 31%
Momentum -40 -34 -57 -40 -33 = -55 +9=20 -65 +3 -53 -80 -42=20

As for Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party, = there is=20 neither positive nor negative momentum among the = Canadian=20 public: Twenty-seven percent say their opinion has = "improved"=20 and 27% say their opinion has "worsened".=20

=C2=B7Positive momentum for Stephen Harper and the = Conservative=20 Party is highest in Alberta (+27 points) and Atlantic = Canada=20 (+9 points), but is negative in Ontario (-6 points) = and=20 Saskatchewan/Manitoba (-7 points).=20

Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party National = BC AB=20 SK/MN ON QUE AT CP LIB NDP BQ Green
Improved 27% = 26% 40%=20 26% 25% 25% 26% 54% 14% 17% 25% 9%
Worsened 27% = 24% 13%=20 33% 31% 25% 36% 5% 47% 40% 23% 35%
No change 36% = 41% 43%=20 32% 36% 36% 31% 37% 32% 39% 43% 40%
Momentum 0 +2 = +27 -7=20 -6 0 +9 +49 -33 -23 +2 -26=20

Jack Layton and the NDP (+12 points) are enjoying = some=20 positive momentum among the Canadian public. Three in = ten=20 (28%) say their opinion has "improved", while 16% say = their=20 opinion has "worsened".=20

=C2=B7Positive momentum for Jack Layton and the NDP = is highest=20 in British Columbia (+19 points), Quebec (+14 points), = and=20 Saskatchewan/Manitoba (+10 points).=20

Jack Layton and the NDP National BC AB SK/MN ON QUE = AT CP=20 LIB NDP BQ Green
Improved 28% 33% 18% 27% 27% 28% = 43% 19%=20 33% 51% 31% 16%
Worsened 16% 14% 21% 17% 18% 14% = 10% 24%=20 17% 4% 17% 14%
No change 43% 44% 50% 42% 46% 40% = 31% 47%=20 39% 44% 42% 54%
Momentum +12 +19 -3 +10 +9 +14 +9 = -5 +16=20 +47 14 +2=20

Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc Quebecois have positive = momentum among the Quebec public (+13 points): = Thirty-four=20 percent of Quebec residents say their opinion has = "improved"=20 and 21% say their opinion has "worsened".=20

Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc Quebecois QUE CP LIB = NDP BQ=20 Green
Improved 34% 22% 15% 17% 61% 13% =
Worsened 21%=20 16% 38% 31% 7% 32%
No change 34% 59% 37% 42% 29% = 31%=20
Momentum +13 +6 -23 -14 +54 -19

-30-=20

For more information on this news release, please = contact:=20

Dr. Darrell Bricker
President & COO =
Ipsos-Reid=20 Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900=20

For full tabular results, please visit our website = at http://www.ipsos.ca/.
News = Releases are=20 available at: http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/

- END PRESS RELEASE - 4/26/2005

CO: Ipsos-Reid
ST: ON
IN:=20 POLITICS
PRD: 200504250010

Press release distributed by PR Direct=20 866-736-3779

All press releases are written by the client and = have NO=20 affiliation with the news copy written by either The = Canadian=20 Press or Broadcast News newsrooms. Any questions that = arise=20 due to the content or information provided in the = press=20 release should be directed to the company/organization = issuing=20 the release, not to CP or BN.=20 =

Copyright The Canadian Press 2005