For Immediate Release
Canadian Public Opinion Poll
Page 1 of 5
MARC EMERY
Majority of Canadians Want Marc
Emery to Serve Sentence in Canada
About three-in-five men and respondents aged 34-to-54 support issuing a
citizen transfer for the Canadian jailed in the United States.
[VANCOUVER – Nov. 30, 2010] – Most
Canadians believe that the federal government
should take action so that Marc Emery—who was
jailed in the United States in September—can
serve his sentence in Canada, a new Angus Reid
Public Opinion poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national
sample of 1,010 Canadian adults, 54 per cent of
respondents agree with the Canadian government
approving a citizen transfer so that Emery can
serve his sentence in Canada. One third (33%)
oppose this course of action.
The highest level of support for allowing Emery to
serve his sentence in Canada is in Atlantic
Canada (65%) and Quebec (59%). The only area
where a plurality of respondents disagrees with
issuing a citizen transfer in this case is Alberta.
KEY FINDINGS
 54% agree with the Canadian
government approving a citizen transfer
so that Marc Emery can serve his
sentence in Canada; 33% disagree
 35% think five-year sentence is too
harsh; 34% believe it is correct
Full topline results are at the end of this release.
From November 29 to November 30, 2010, Angus Reid Public
Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,010 randomly
selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists.
The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is
+/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically
weighted according to the most current education, age, gender
and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of
the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or
between totals are due to rounding.
Men (59%) and respondents aged 35-to-54 (57%)
are more likely than women (49%) and
respondents over the age of 55 (45%) to urge for
a citizen transfer.
Emery was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana,
conspiracy to distribute marijuana seeds, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. In May 2010,
Emery pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana in a Seattle court. In
September 2010, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations, 877-730-3570, [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Canadian Public Opinion Poll
Page 2 of 5
While 34 per cent of Canadians believe a five-year sentence is correct for this type of offence, 35 per cent
believe it is too harsh and 19 per cent deem the sentence too lenient.
Analysis
A survey conducted earlier this month showed that public support for the legalization of marijuana stands
at 50 per cent in Canada. For the past three years, it has become clear that Canadians are decidedly
more likely to seek different guidelines for cannabis than for so-called ―hard drugs‖, such as cocaine or
crystal meth.
On this particular case, a majority of respondents suggest that the federal government should allow
Emery to return to Canada to serve his sentence—a recommendation first issued by his defence team in
September 2010 and which was met with the concurrence of District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez.
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CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations, 877-730-3570, [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Canadian Public Opinion Poll
Page 3 of 5
Marc Emery
Marc Emery is a Canadian citizen, who was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury on charges of
conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana seeds, and conspiracy to
engage in money laundering. In May 2010, Emery pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to
manufacture marijuana in a Seattle court. In September 2010, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
Thinking about this, do you think a five-year sentence is too harsh, too lenient, or correct?
Region
Total
BC
AB
MB/SK
ON
PQ
ATL
A five-year sentence is too harsh
35%
47%
31%
24%
40%
24%
38%
A five-year sentence is correct
34%
25%
46%
31%
29%
45%
38%
A five-year sentence is too lenient
19%
18%
20%
25%
15%
22%
17%
Not sure
12%
11%
3%
21%
16%
9%
7%
Marc Emery
Marc Emery is a Canadian citizen, who was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury on charges of
conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana seeds, and conspiracy to
engage in money laundering. In May 2010, Emery pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to
manufacture marijuana in a Seattle court. In September 2010, he was sentenced to five years in prison.
Thinking about this, do you think a five-year sentence is too harsh, too lenient, or correct?
Gender & Age
Total
Male
Female
Age 18-34
Age 35-54
Age 55+
A five-year sentence is too harsh
35%
42%
28%
32%
40%
29%
A five-year sentence is correct
34%
35%
36%
34%
35%
36%
A five-year sentence is too lenient
19%
14%
23%
16%
17%
25%
Not sure
12%
10%
13%
17%
8%
10%
CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations, 877-730-3570, [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Canadian Public Opinion Poll
Page 4 of 5
Marc Emery
Do you agree or disagree with the Canadian government approving a citizen transfer so that Marc
Emery can serve his sentence in Canada?
Region
Total
BC
AB
MB/SK
ON
PQ
ATL
Agree
54%
53%
40%
42%
55%
59%
65%
Disagree
33%
36%
43%
38%
32%
31%
27%
Not sure
13%
12%
17%
20%
12%
10%
9%
Marc Emery
Do you agree or disagree with the Canadian government approving a citizen transfer so that Marc
Emery can serve his sentence in Canada?
Gender & Age
Total
Male
Female
Age 18-34
Age 35-54
Age 55+
Agree
54%
59%
49%
56%
57%
45%
Disagree
33%
34%
34%
23%
34%
48%
Not sure
13%
7%
17%
21%
9%
6%
CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations, 877-730-3570, [email protected]
For Immediate Release
Canadian Public Opinion Poll
Page 5 of 5
Angus Reid Public Opinion is a practice of Vision Critical—a global research and technology
company specializing in custom online panels, private communities, and innovative online methods.
Vision Critical is a leader in the use of the Internet and rich media technology to collect high-quality,
in-depth insights for a wide array of clients. Dr. Angus Reid and the Angus Reid Public Opinion team
are pioneers in online research methodologies, and have been conducting online surveys since 1995
Vision Critical is now one of the largest market research enterprises in the world. In addition to its five
offices in Canada—located in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Toronto, and Montreal—the firm also has
offices in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, Paris and Sydney. Its team of specialists
provides solutions across every type and sector of research, and currently serves over 200
international clients.
Angus Reid Public Opinion polls are conducted using the Angus Reid Forum
(www.angusreidforum.com), Springboard America (www.springboardamerica.com) and Springboard
UK (www.springboarduk.com) online panels, which are carefully recruited to ensure representation
across all demographic and psychographic segments of these populations. Panel members pass
through rigorous screening and a double opt-in process ensuring highly motivated and responsive
members. These premier online survey platforms present respondents with highly visual, interactive,
and engaging surveys, ensuring that panel members provide thoughtful and reliable responses.
Each survey is actively sampled and weighted to model that characteristics of the universe required
and employs the latest in quality control techniques to ensure data validity.
Since 2006, Angus Reid has covered eight provincial elections in Canada—more than any other
pollster in the country—and the results have accurately predicted the outcome of each of these
democratic processes.
Angus Reid, the only public opinion firm to exclusively use online methods to follow the views of the
electorate during the 2008 federal campaign, offered the most accurate prediction of the results of
Canada’s 40th election. More information on our electoral record in Canada and the United States
can be found at:
http://www.angus-reid.com/services/record-of-accuracy/
More information on the way Angus Reid conducts public opinion research can be found at
http://www.angus-reid.com/about/
- 30 For more information, please contact
our spokesperson listed in the footnote.
Copies of this poll are available on our website:
http://www.angus-reid.com
CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations, 877-730-3570, [email protected]