www.AlbertaRepublicans.Org

*** For Immediate Release ***

Poll Indicates Seventy Percent Want Referendum On Independence

(Edmonton) June 16, 2003

    An on-going poll being conducted by Trevis Kerr & Associates indicates that 74 percent of those polled want Premier Ralph Klein to hold a referendum on Alberta independence. Of 2235 Albertans polled thus far, 1656 have said yes to the referendum idea.

    Pollsters have taken to the streets of various cities and towns around Alberta and are conducting their interviews face to face. So far they have visited Edmonton, Barrhead, Morinville, Lacombe, Drayton Valley, Cardston, Pincher Creek, Coaldale, Lethbridge, Fort MacLeod, and Cochrane. In some places such as Cardston, virtually 100 percent are in favour of an independence referendum. In Cochrane however, the number in the affirmative drops to nearer 30 percent. Even in Edmonton where voters are regarded as being more left-leaning, 50 percent of those polled favoured holding a referendum on independence from Canada. Respondents cited dissatisfaction with a number of issues including the jailing of Alberta farmers, the signing of the Kyoto Accord, taxation and Alberta's  powerlessness in the federal political process.

    While the separatist sentiment among average Albertans seems to be rising to record levels, some shop-keepers and store managers don't agree. The pollsters have been asked to leave a number of locations including the parking lots of Canadian Tire, Home Depot and Rona-Revy in Edmonton. In Pincher Creek, the R.C.M.P. were dispatched to watch the polling and confronted the pollsters to enquire into who they were and what they were doing. Someone had complained that the pollsters were "harassing" people.

    The people polled mirror Alberta's age demographic overall with those being polled roughly evenly split between people over the age of thirty and those under. The result for both groups is nearly equal with the exception that people between the ages of 18 and 25 years of age are more pro-Canada than those over 25 years of age. Said pollster Edward Goodliffe, "The response was the same across various demographics. Whether men, women, or visible minorities, it seems that the level of dissatisfaction with Alberta's place in Confederation is quite universal".

    Asked why the poll is being conducted, Mr. Trevis Kerr said, "I saw an Insight Research poll late last year that said only 23 percent of Albertans were in favour of independence. I thought that the numbers were completely wrong because it certainly isn't what I see in my community and among my friends and neighbors. So for my own information, I started polling. We went to a variety of communities all around the province and soon found that the 23 percent numbers were completely off base. In some communities such as Fawcett, Alberta, support for a referendum on independence is virtually 100 percent. We were even impressed by historically left-leaning Edmonton where we found 50 percent were in support. Even in Cochrane where we found support for the idea was the lowest that we encountered anywhere, the affirmative was still 30 percent."

    At over 2000 respondents thus far, this poll is among the largest samplings on the subject of Alberta independence ever undertaken. Mr. Kerr intends to continue polling Albertans in all areas of the province and will release revised numbers later in the summer.

-- 30 --

For further information:

        Mr. Trevis Kerr, Trevis Kerr & Associates (780)954-2415      Mr. Alan Clark, AlbertaRepublicans.org (780)919-5046