~ Attitudes: Government Regulation
PUBUC PROCESSAND INVOLVEMENT
D. INVDLVED CANADIANS
Earnscliffe has developed a proprietary segmentation tool to help clients understand the ebb and flow of public opinion, by shedding light on those who lead opinion formation and movement at the grass roots level. The segment in question totals roughly 30 percent of the adult population and is known as the
"Involved Canadians." Involved Canadians stand out from the rest of the
population by virtue of the fact that they are much more likely to:
Take an active interest in the conduct of public affairs and politics Play a role in community groups, political parties and NGOs
Consume more news and information and make contact with the media A complete overview of our current knowledge about this segment is available on request. We have been studying this segment for the last five years and feel the evidence is very solid that thesé people lead and shape public debates, and that understanding the tilt of their opinions is critical in developing successful communications strategies.
As part of our analysis of this data set, we have examined the ways in which Involved Canadians' opinions and perceptions compare to those of the rest of the population. These findings are highlighted in this section.
Final Report. ta the BAce
Involved CanadÎans 63
~
~
Involved Canadians are more polarized in their responses to the term
"biotechnology." This is a normal pattern where an issue is, or is about to
become, controversial. Involved Canadians are 5 percent more Iikely to have a positive feeling about biotechnology, and 6 percent more likely to have a negative feeling, compared to the rest of the population. Involved Canadians are 31 percent positive, 18 percent negative and 48 percent neutral in response to the term. In contrast, the term "technology" produces no difference in reactions between the Involved Canadians and the rest of the population.
~ Reaction to Biotechno/ogy
Rest 56
Involved
Canadians 48
20 40 60 80 100
• Positive 0 Neutral El Negative 0 DK/NR
Final Report to the SACe
Involved Canadians 64
/nvo/ved Canadians are roughly twice as likely to have heard about biotechnology in the last few months and to have had a conversation with someone about the subject at some point in time. Put differently, this 30 percent of the population accounts for almost 50 percent of the public audience for this debate.
~ Recently Hea~d
o~
SpokenHeard about
biotechnology 66 Rest
4~ Involved
Spoken about
biotechnology 7:3 Rest
50 Involved
20 40 60 60 100
.Yes ONo ElDKINR
Final Report to the SACe
Involved Canadians 65
With respect to the benefits and drawbacks associated with biotech, /nvo/ved Canadians are slightly less enthusiastic about the benefits and slightly more
nervous about certain potential drawbacks, most notably: the effect on
farmers, food quality, the long-term condition of the environment, and moral and ethical values in Canada.
Index of Involved vs. Rest
~ Benefits and Drawba_cks
Amou"! of food •• WI.Il':::J3'<:4=:':1''IT''IOJO
Farming s ec tor •• DI.E:2':=Il-"~"iJ!J8
Environment - future 1"" __ ~--",27~LI·~=.3-L.-I"'-LI'~"
Quallty offood .1II.1I:::::J3~5=EfJ2:iJIl
Economy-future .1IU.1::::=3~9=::I!iJ!I~
-today 1"" __ ~~3~',~-,1-,-"=_1'-" 1',,-,' 1
106 n s
'OdaY.DlE='!::=C':!':J'i:ŒiJ
Economy . today .1DIE:=~'==I'i_'ôor5r'f[;]1
1- 23 - 1 B ~ '! '1
• MaJo, banaflt~ 0 M "du! bano!i'. DModast drawbac~. QMajor drawbach 0 0 KINR
FÎlJaI Report to the SACe
Involved Canadians 66
~
~
The Involved Canadians segment is considerably more critical of the federal government's management of biotechnology. The number of Involved Canadians offering poor ratings is some 5 percent to 14 percent higher across a range of variables. The heaviest criticisrn is for "ta king the interests of average Canadians into account," "ensuring the protection of the environment," and "ensuring that biotechnology is used in ethical ways."
~ Federal Governmenr Performance
lnvolved Canadians Rest of Population
35
l·l'IF.'
42
l18jp 1_
21Il 36
1 22Il EII
40 1 24Il
41 116lr
III
41 1 24Il
Canada benefi!s trom "ew produds
El
47 1 21Il III
41 1 29Il
Canadabenelit5frOm""OnOmicop~ortu,,!t!lIsm 42 1 23 1'1
ID
41 1--"-Il
~
~
rnëex of Involved vs Rest
~ Federal Governmenr Performance
Involved Canadians
InlormlngCanadlansaboutgov'jrole •• liD· ••
C:::=3~3=II8illl§
c.n.adl"n$'lru .. resl5ll1kenlntDaccount_ ••
"g·_.r:=~36~:l11~2]1p5~1
Canada benerolsfmmnew products. __ ' 4_7 _ _jI=21=.,j1'-'3c:_B 1 •••
m •••
CanadlanSbenefitfrOmOppOltuniliesEl 42
1-23'16191
============
68
Invo/ved Canadians 67
Final Report to the SAce Final Report to the SACe
When asked to establish their priorities for the federal government with respect ta biotech, compared to the rest of the population, Involved Canadians put more emphasis on ensuring the ethical use of biotechnology, protecting the health of Canadians, and ensuring the protection of the environmenl.
~ Federal Government Priorities
lnvclved Canadians
Protectin!l he .. lthagaln,jrlsks ••
~± •• E=3~4=II1~o]~
Rest of Population
_lM
40 )13Mê§1
EnSUrill!lbiole<:hlsUSt>dlnethicalwaysW"_ 37
C .. nadlansbenefilfmmOpjlOrtunftie-s" : 45
Final Report to the BAce
Involved Canadians 69
~ Federal Government Priorities
l'rolectinghulthagainstrlsks ••
~i •• E=3~4=]1~1O'lIlt
Ensuring biolechis used in ethical ways
1-.I.f~·_.1::=3~7=]I-~f5Q!l1tl
p,oteclingenvironmentagalnSlnSlIswtW"' 38
114~
Index of Involved vs. Rest
21 @
Involved Canadians, like others, tend to favour a balance 01 regulation and industrial support but are more likely to leel that the tilt currently is a little too much in the direction 01 industrial support, rather than regulation.
~ Government El'I'Iphasis
15 putting more emphasis
SHOULD put more emphasis
20 40 60 80 100
• Regulate practice of prtvate company OPutting equal emphasis on bath DSupport the development of industry DDK/NR
Final Report to the SACe
Involved Canadians 70
~
~
Involved Canadians are just as likely as others to feel that biotechnology can help combat environ mental problems. world hunger and serious illness and can strengthen our economy. Their concerns are not a function of a disinterest in the benefits, but a wariness of the drawbacks.
~ Arguments far Biatechnalagy
Has the poteou a 1 to help cure or treat ••• seriousillnesses
Bl •• I:=~37r::::=J@]51
'1Has the polentlal 10 solve world hunger ••
œ.I:=~4~1=::Jtc~-·~"~d~
Hes the potentlallo environmenlal problems s ofve serious _.
'.C1I.I:==4~3=='=][~"~5d'l
Has the potentlal standard of living to strenglhen economy,
"E ••
,.==~53==::JI::l~.:2:l2:1
40 60 80 100
• Strongly share OSomewhat share DOo not s hare
Final Report to the BACe
Involved Canadians 71
~
~
When probed on their reactions to arguments against biotechnoloqy, Involved Canadians are considerably more worried about long-term health risks, experiments going wrong and the potential for unethical decisions to be made. Worth noting is that their ethical concerns do not appear based on a religious factor: they are less swayed by arguments that have to do with changing things which God or nature created. By a considerable rnarqin, their chief concern is about long-term health risks.
~ Strongest Can Argument
May creil le unknown
long-Ierm health and rlsks 10 , ••••••••••••••• ~ 42
Can Jead to ethical decisionsthatare , ••••••••
troubling. impossible • 10 satisfy everyone Involves expenments
that could go wrong ••••••••
and c aus e se rtcus • harm
Changes naturat order •••••
ofthings,makes me uncomfortable
10 2D 3D 40 50
.Stroogest argument
Final Report to the SACe
Involved Canadians 72
Involved Canadians Rest
20 40 60 80 100
• Decisions based on expert ad vice OJ Decisions based on public views
o DK/NR
Fmal Report ro the BACe
Involved Canadians 73
~ _ De~isio_ns Based on
~ 55 50 C -
Involved Canadians
Rest
Involved Canadians want expert opinion and scientific evidence to be the main influences guiding decisions about biotechnology, and are no more interested than others are in seeing the debate turn mainly on ethical issues and public concerns.
~ Decisions B_ase~ on
67
67
20 40 60 80 100
• Decisions based on moral/ethical issues Ll üectsto ns based on scientific evidence DDK/NR
Final Report to the BACe
/nvolved Canadians 74
~
~
A variety of probes in this study reveal a pattern whereby Involved Canadians are leading a push for greater regulation by government in the field of biotechnology. At the sa me time, it is important to note that this is a difference in degree not direction and that Involved Canadians very clearly signal a desire for the biotech sector to be allowed to develop and deliver benefits to Canada.
~ Govern~nt Sh~U/: Increase
Rest 50
Involved
Canadians 47
80 100
20 40 60
.Stronglyagree DAgree DDisagree DStrongly disagree ODK/NR
Final Report to the BAce
Involved Canadians 75
~
~
~ Biotechnology Is Adequately
lnvolved Canadians Rest
20 40 60 80 100
.Strongly agree OAgree ElOisagree OStrongly disag-ree DOKfNR
~ Current Regulations Are Suffic~ent
Involved Canadians Rest
20 40 60 80 100
.Strongly agree DAgree ODisagree DStrongly disagree El.lDK/NR
Final Report ta the BAce
Involved Canadians 76
~. Companie~ Developing
~ oc reu 0
Involved Canadians Rest
20 40 60 80 100
.Stronglyagree OAgree OOisagree DStrongly disagree OOK1NR
Final Report fo the SACe
Involved Canadians 77
Involved Canadians are more strongly in favour of labelling requirements.
They are more doubtful that left to their own deviees, eompanies would adequately proteet them against risk. They are even more skeptieal that eompanies would ensure ethieal uses of bioteehnology.
~ Labelling Requirements
Companies ordered to label products
Rest
38 Involved
20 40 60 80 100
.Stronglyagree OAgree BDisagree DStrongly disagree
Final Report to the BACe
Invo/ved Canadians 78
~ COmpanie5 En5uring
~ e t-"
tnvolved Canadians Rest
20 40 60 80 100
.Strongly agree OAgree BDisagree DStrongly disagree DOK/NR
Final Report fo the BACe
Involved Canadians 79
~
~
While Involved Canadians are more likely to feel that not enough is currently known about biotechnology and its impacts, they are not more inclined to see government put the brakes on development in this area. Rather, they seem to prefer a high level of research, development and innovation, cou pied with a higher level of oversight to prote ct the public interest.
~ Enough 15 Known
Rest 45
Involved
Canadians 37
20 40 60 80 100
.Strongly agree OAgree El Disagree DStrongly disagree DDKINR
Final Report to the BACe
Involved Canadians 80
~ Until More Is Known About Risks,
~ De nlow"o 0
Rest 50
Involved
Canadians 44
60 80 100
20 40
.Strongly agree OAgree GDîsagree ÇJStrongly dîsagree DOK/NR
When it comes to specifie biotechnology applications, Involved Canadians are more likely than others to signal discomfort with transgenic applications.
Predictably, Involved Canadians are considerably more likely than others to support consultation processes and to say that they would make use of sa me personally.
ln summary, these results suggest that Involved Canadians are helping shape opinion and media commentary in a number of ways. They are believers in the benefits of biotechnology but think that not enough is currently known about the risks, and that government needs to play a greater role in learning about and helping to mitigate risks. In particular, they are focussed on long-term health risks, environ mental hazards and ethical di lem mas posed by biotechnology applications. They are clearly not anti-development, or anti-business, but they sense that current government approaches are perhaps more laissez-faire than would be ideal.
Final Report to the SACe
Involved Canadians 81