‘Angry’ Ontarians don’t trust handling of energy file: poll
50% don’t feel protected ‘with respect to prices’
“Ontarians have never been this angry,” researchers say about a new poll that shows that half of voters in this province feel unprotected from price increases in the electricity system.
The 600-person poll by the Innovative Research Group, released Wednesday at an Ontario Energy Association conference in Toronto, shows a growing distrust in the Ontario government’s handling of the energy file, in particular electricity prices.
The poll about provincial politics and energy rates was commissioned by the Ontario Energy Association — an industry group representing everything from gas to electricity companies — for its conference.
When asked if they feel “consumers are well- protected with respect to prices and the reliability and quality of electricity service in Ontario,” 50 per cent of respondents “strongly dis- agreed” — the highest rate of dissatisfaction since the firm s t arted asking t he question in 2002. Another 20 per cent “somewhat disagreed” while just 19 per cent said they “somewhat” agreed and six per cent “strongly agreed.” Three per cent had no opinion and another two per cent didn’t know.
Fifty- one per cent said a party’s stance on electricity prices will influence their vote in the next election — a 17- point jump from 34 per cent who said the same in 2014.
That c ompounds t he trouble for the Ontario Liberals and Premier Kathleen Wynne. The governing party used a throne speech earlier this month to address concerns about rising electricity rates.
However, 54 per cent of respondents said they feel the government is on the wrong track.
Thirty per cent of voters identified electricity prices as a key pocketbook concern, second only to the 35 per cent who said their biggest worry was jobs and the economy.
Anger over electricity rates appears to have benefited the Official Opposition, as support for the provincial Progressive Conservative grew seven points over the summer, the poll shows.
According to the poll, the Tories lead the Liberals at 30 per cent to 26 per cent, while 20 per cent support the NDP, six per cent the Green Party and 11 per cent don’t know. Six per cent don’t support anyone and one per cent would vote for someone else.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four per cent, 19 times out of 20.
All three party leaders are essentially tied for the role of “best premier”: 22 per cent support PC leader Patrick Brown, 19 per cent NDP leader Andrea Horwath and 18 per cent Wynne. That’s within the poll’s four- percent margin of error.