Tissue Bank Manitoba Proposed Legal Changes in Manitoba October 2016

Research Methodology This province-wide Omnibus survey was designed and conducted by Probe Research via telephone interviews taken between Sept. 13, 2016 and Sept. 26, 2016 among a random and representative sampling of 1,000 adults residing in Manitoba. With a sample of 1,000 one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within ± 3.1 percentage points of what they would have been if the entire adult population of Manitoba had been interviewed. The margin of error is higher within each of the survey’s population sub-groups. Modified random digit dialing covering both landline and wireless numbers was used to ensure that all Manitoba adults would have an equal opportunity to participate in this Probe Research Inc. survey. Minor statistical weighting has been applied to this sample to ensure that age and gender characteristics properly reflect known attributes of the province’s population. All data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical analysis software.   For more information on this research project, please contact: Lloyd Fridfinnson Vice-President Probe Research Inc. Suite 850 – 125 Garry Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3P2 Tel.: (204) 926-6565 E-mail: lloyd@probe-research.com

Public Opinion on Proposed Change in Law Q.1 “In some countries, when a person dies they automatically become potential organ and tissue donors unless that person specifically indicates that he or she does not want this. This does not occur in Manitoba where people must voluntarily indicate their willingness to donate and close family members are approached for consent. Do you support or oppose changing the law in Manitoba so that anyone who dies would be automatically considered an organ and tissue donor unless they had specifically indicated otherwise? Is it strongly or somewhat?” Four in ten beer consumers are Lite beer loyalists with most of these favouring Labatts Lite. Base: Manitoba adults aged 18 years and over.

Analysis A majority of Manitobans (55%, including 40% strongly) support changing Manitoba’s laws so that anyone who dies would be automatically considered an organ and tissue donor unless they had specifically indicated otherwise. This is much stronger than the support level registered in 2005, when only one-third (33%, including 20% strongly) supported such a change. Opposition, where it exists, tends to be firm (29% strongly oppose) as opposed to passive (13% somewhat oppose). This suggests that this is a potentially polarizing topic. This opposition is disproportionately likely to come from rural Manitoba (where 50% oppose a change in the law, compared to 36% in Winnipeg) Residents of higher-income households were more likely to express strong support for this suggested change in the province's laws. Among those earning $100,000 or more annually, one-half (49%) identified themselves as strong supporters of this change (versus just 32% among those earning $30,000 to $59,999).