Albertans are split down the middle over Premier Ralph Klein's decision to give them a chunk of the provincial surplus -- and most Calgarians would rather see the government inject the cash into other priorities, a new poll reveals.

Klein said last week every man, woman and child would get roughly $400 each by the end of the year -- a giveaway of about $1.4 billion as Alberta steams toward a petro-fuelled surplus approaching $9 billion.

An Ipsos-Reid survey, provided exclusively to the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal, shows 48 per cent of respondents said the government should keep the cash and use it to address provincial priorities, while 47 per cent agree with giving the surplus directly to Albertans in the form of a one-time payment.

Five per cent of respondents either didn't know or were not sure.

"There certainly is a lot of division among Albertans generally on the whole issue," said pollster Peter Weylie of Ipsos Reid.

The poll shows the "prosperity" bonuses are unlikely to spark a consumer spending spree, Weylie added, with most Albertans planning to use the money to pay bills/debt (21 per cent) or invest it (21 per cent).

The findings come after Klein rejected suggestions last week that the $400 dividends were controversial with the public despite the criticism of business groups, think-tanks and political opponents.

Canada West Foundation president Roger Gibbins, who's voiced opposition to the dividend cheques, said Albertans are recognizing the importance of the choices being made.

"This decision by the provincial government has sparked a very intense debate in the province," said Gibbins, who heads the think-tank.

"The reason it's split so evenly is because people are approaching this as a debate that is about more than what we should do with this immediate surplus. It's a debate about the future of the province."

Ipsos Reid conducted the survey between Sept. 19 and Sept. 23. A total of 800 interviews were done, giving the survey a margin of error of 3.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

It shows Calgarians were most likely to say the government should have kept the money (54 per cent) versus 41 per cent who believe the surplus should be given directly to Albertans in the form of a one-time payment.

In Edmonton, residents were evenly divided, with 48 per cent of respondents split between the two choices.

And outside the major cities, 53 per cent believe the surplus should be given directly to Albertans in a one-time payment, while 42 per cent wanted the government to keep the cash for provincial priorities.

"In both the cities there is much more of an appetite that the government should have kept the money," Weylie said. "They see a lot more priorities . . . looming in the near future that need to be addressed versus some of the more rural areas which aren't going through some of the difficult parts of rapid growth, which both cities have seen."

The poll also highlights the divide between young and old, rich and poor.

Fifty-seven per cent of residents aged 18 to 34 supported giving the surplus money directly to Albertans in a one-time payment, followed by adults 35 to 54 (44 per cent) and those over 55 years of age (40 per cent).