By December 15, 2016 Read More →

Majority of Canadians approve of Ottawa’s approach to pipelines: CAPP

Majority

Majority of Canadians support pipelines

“A majority of Canadians agree the Government of Canada has taken a balanced approach to pipelines.”

CALGARY, ALBERTA – A majority of Canadians support Ottawa’s balanced approach to oil pipelines and transportation, according to results of an Ipsos poll done in part for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

The results also show the number of British Columbians who support the approval of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (54 per cent) is more than double those who oppose it (26 per cent).

The same is true for Line 3 Replacement Project, where results show the number of British Columbians who support the approval (53 per cent) is more than double those who oppose it (19 per cent).

British Columbians’ agreement with Ottawa’s approach ranks above the national average on each of the four decisions. Support for Ottawa’s plan is highest in Alberta and B.C. and lowest in Québec and Atlantic Canada.

On November 29, the Government of Canada:

  • Approved the Trans Mountain Expansion Project;
  • Approved the Line 3 Replacement Project;
  • Rejected the Northern Gateway Project; and,
  • Announced it will proceed with a moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic off the north coast of B.C.

The Ipsos poll of 1,000 Canadians conducted Dec. 5 to 8 found:

All numbers indicate per cent and may not add to 100 due to rounding*

National Results
Government Decision Agree with Decision Neutral Disagree with Decision
Trans Mountain 37 43 20
Line 3 39 43 18
Northern Gateway 33 45 21
Tanker Moratorium 34 50 16
British Columbia Results
Government Decision Agree with Decision Neutral Disagree with Decision
Trans Mountain 54 20 26
Line 3 53 28 19
Northern Gateway 38 25 37
Tanker Moratorium 43 38 19

Detailed results of the Ipsos poll can be found online here: http://ipsos-na.com/news-polls/

Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers quotes: Tim McMillan – president and CEO, CAPP

  • On poll:
    • “A majority of Canadians agree the Government of Canada has taken a balanced approach to pipelines.”
    • “Canadians want to see governments take action on climate change but Canadians also want their governments to take action to grow our economy. These decisions can balance both – and Canadians support these decisions.”
    • “It’s important we continue to listen to all Canadians – both those in favour of pipelines and those opposed – to have a balanced conversation about our energy future.”
  • On Trans Mountain and Line 3
    • “The Ipsos results show that in their approval of Trans Mountain and Line 3 pipelines, the Government of Canada has the support of most Canadians. “
    • “A majority of British Columbians approve of Ottawa’s decision to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline – to connect Canada’s energy to new customers around the world and support jobs for Canadians.”
    • “As most British Columbians support the approval of Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, we need to move forward with construction and with creating jobs for Canadians.”
  • On Northern Gateway and Tanker Moratorium
    • “We respect Ottawa’s decision on Northern Gateway. Naturally we are disappointed that this project to connect Canadian energy with the world is not going to be built. British Columbians appear split on the project too, with as many in favor as opposed to it.”
    • “The protection of Canada’s coasts is a priority for all Canadians, for governments and for industry. We hear and respect the views of Canadians. We will continue to collaborate with governments and communities to listen and work together on the tanker moratorium to find a path forward.”

Methodology: Ipsos conducted this poll between December 5, and December 8, 2016. A sample of 1,000 Canadians from Ipsos’ online panel was interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the adult population according to census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate +/- 3.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled.

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