A new poll, basically confirming what a lot of older polls suggested:
Canadians are more likely to oppose (44%) than support (36%) the Keystone XL energy pipeline, while 20% have a neutral opinion. The opposite is true on the other side of the border: the figures are 34%, 52% and 14%, respectively. However, support is highest among self-identified supporters of the federal Conservative Party of Canada (55%), mirroring the polarized situation in the United States, where 72% of Republicans support the project against 39% of Democrats.
From the same poll:
Within Canada, support for Keystone XL was highest in Alberta (58%). At 50%, Trans Canada’s Energy East project has greater support than Keystone XL, but opinions vary substantially across regions. At the high end, 68% of citizens in Alberta support the project, compared to a low of 33% of citizens in Quebec.
Presumably this means the Trans-Mountain pipeline has support somewhere under 50%. Unfortunately there is no link to the full poll that I can see. Clearly, however, the federal government hasn't screamed HIPPY!! loud enough at protesters. And maybe CAPP should buy a few more newspapers. That'll push 'em over the top.
This might account for part of the pro-Keystone portion --
ReplyDeleteAccording to an Environics poll, 41 per cent of Canadians think the oilsands contribution to the economy is between six and 24 times higher than it actually is. [...]
Non-conventional oil production - which comes mostly from mining and steaming bitumen from beneath the soil of northern Alberta - accounts for about two per cent of national output, Statistics Canada data show. [...]
BUT
"We are routinely told our economy will sputter, governments won't be able to balance budgets and social services will have to be sacrificed if we don't triple the size of the tar sands as fast as possible [...]
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Oilsands+economic+impact+over+rated/10003735/story.html