Differing Attitudes Toward Asia Reflect Economic Conditions Across the Country

VANCOUVER - Canadians generally have a favourable opinion of Asia, according to the results of a national opinion poll released today. However, there are some notable differences in outlook across provinces or regions.

In Quebec, for instance, only 44% of respondents believe the overall impact of Asian immigration is positive, compared with 63% in Atlantic Canada and 61% in all Canada except Quebec.

In booming Alberta, 58% of respondents think the government should allow more foreign temporary workers to ease labour shortages.

In Ontario and Quebec, which are facing the brunt of the US economic slowdown, only 39% of people agree.

The survey, undertaken across Canada at the end of March by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, found that 57% of British Columbians see Canada as part of the Asia Pacific region. In Quebec, only 18% of respondents saw their country in this way.

Quebecers are also more worried than other Canadians about the impact on jobs of more trade and investment with China. Some 40% of respondents in the province think this will result in job losses, compared with only 31% in the rest of Canada. Perhaps that is why just 36% of Quebecers believe trade and investment with Asia benefits their province. In British Columbia, 77% see benefits in Asian trade.

Commenting on the results, Yuen Pau Woo, President and Co-CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation, said regional variations in views about Asia are consistent with the different demographic makeup and industrial structure of Canadian provinces. Ottawa must forge a vision of relations with Asia that is based on the future rather than on the past, he added.

Even in their reading of international affairs, there are quite marked differences across the country. In Alberta, 45% of people believe the human rights situation in China today is better than it was 10 years ago. In Quebec, only 31% of people see the situation that way. And Quebecers are less sure than other Canadians that Ottawa should seek a free trade agreement with China if the US attempts to renegotiate NAFTA. Only 40% think that is an option for Canada while 55% of Albertans are behind the idea.

There are also some interesting demographic differences in Canadian attitudes. While 38% of men think Canada is part of the Asia Pacific, only 21% of women agree with them. Some 73% of Canadian earning more than $100,000 a year think the government should promote investment in Asia, while only 52% of those earning less than $50,000 agree. And 81% of university-educated Canadians see environmental degradation as the top issue facing Asia in the next decade. Only 68% of those with a high school diploma or less agree.

The survey for the Asia Pacific Foundation was carried out between March 15 and March 20, 2008, by Angus Reid Strategies which conducted an online survey among a randomly selected, representative sample of 2,659 adult Canadians. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 2%, 19 times out of 20. The results were statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and regional Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. The survey includes samples of 602 adult residents of Atlantic Canada, 605 adult residents of Quebec, 619 adult residents of Ontario, and 640 adult residents of British Columbia. The margin of error for each of these samples is +/- 4%, 19 times out of 20.