Residents want B.C. to ‘give in’ if court backs pipeline, poll finds
If Kinder Morgan’s $7.4-billion Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project has “a path to yes,” it would be through a court decision confirming federal jurisdiction over the project, and convincing people adequate protections against oil spills are in place, a new poll says.
The Angus Reid Institute survey shows a swing in public sentiment regarding the project, with 54 per cent of British Columbians now in favour of the expansion, compared with 48 per cent in a similar survey in February. However, that swing in support looks like it was driven by more questions around B.C.’s right to add regulations to the already-approved project, said Shachi Kurl, Angus Reid’s executive director.
The question that also drew majority support in the poll, conducted April 16-17, showed that 69 per cent of British Columbians would want the province to “give in and allow the pipeline to be built,” if the courts determine the province doesn’t have jurisdiction to block it.
Even 35 per cent of respondents who oppose the project now would concede that B.C. should go ahead in that event. And Kurl said results also show that even those British Columbians who support the project still have deep reservations about the environmental risks.
“Today’s numbers certainly trend in the direction (project proponents) might be happy with,” Kurl said, “but they should really avoid wanting to pop Champagne corks too quickly, simply because there is really a lack of consensus (around that support).”
The risk of an oil tanker spill was the biggest concern among both opponents and supporters in B.C., and across Canada, Kurl said. And British Columbians, in particular, don’t have a high degree of confidence in existing spill protections. In the poll, 43 per cent said they were confident in plans and procedures to prevent an oil spill, versus 52 per cent who weren’t confident, and just 42 per cent said they were confident that authorities could respond to a spill versus 51 per cent who reported not being confident.
And on a question about whether benefits from the expansion are worth the risk, there was almost a three-way tie between those who say yes (35 per cent), those who say no (34 per cent), and those who see the risks and benefits as “roughly equal” (30 per cent).
“The path to yes is to get in front of the courts quickly and the path to yes is the federal government really needs to be doing a very credible, believable job of indicating to British Columbians that there is an adequate spill-prevention and response plan,” Kurl said.
In response to the poll numbers, Premier John Horgan looked past the shift in top-line support to the continuing environmental concerns.
“Opinion polls will come and opinion polls will go,” Horgan said, adding that in the last election, 58 per cent of voters who cast ballots did so with some concern over an ocean spill of diluted bitumen.
“If you want to go through the weeds of that most-recent opinion poll ... almost three-quarters of those canvassed are very concerned about the consequences of a diluted bitumen spill.”
Among environmental groups opposed to the project, Kai Nagata, director of communications for the Dogwood Initiative, also focused on concerns that respondents raised beneath the surface.
“There’s some top-line movement towards supporting the pipeline in principle, but many of those same people don’t like the idea of public funds ( backstopping the project),” Nagata said.
The federal and Alberta governments indicated on April 8 they were willing to invest directly in the project after Kinder Morgan suspended “non-essential” spending.
The poll asked whether respondents agreed whether that was a good idea. In B.C., 70 per cent said that would be a bad idea and “would be a poor use of taxpayer funds.”
On a national level, that figure was 56 per cent.
On the proponents’ side, however, the shift in poll results indicates a trend that more people are coming around to support the expansion.
“People have had time to consider (the project)” in the two years since it was approved, said Chris Gardner, president of the Independent Contractors and Business Association.
Gardner is convinced that public support will build, the more they hear about the $1.5 billion the federal government plans to pour into coastal spill response, allaying some of the environmental concerns.
“I think upon learning more, people would have more confidence to say, ‘This project should go ahead,’ ” he said.
Kinder Morgan CEO Steve Kean says events in recent days have reinforced his concerns about the viability of the project.