Albertans say their governments aren’t doing enough on pipelines
CALGARY As a national debate rages over the building of energy pipelines in Canada, a new poll shows most Albertans don’t think the federal or provincial governments are doing enough to get the new megaprojects approved.
And while more Albertans approve than oppose changes made to the national energy regulator to evaluate new pipeline proposals, they’re also growing more skeptical that the cross-country Energy East project will be built.
A Mainstreet Technology/Postmedia News poll surveyed 3,092 Albertans on Wednesday and found more than two-thirds of Albertans — 68 per cent — don’t think the federal government of Justin Trudeau is doing enough to get new pipelines approved.
Only 12 per cent said Ottawa’s actions on the matter are sufficient, while 19 per aren’t sure.
A slim majority — 51 per cent — believe the provincial government of Rachel Notley isn’t doing enough to get new pipelines approved, while 24 per cent say it is, and the rest are uncertain.
Regional differences exist in the poll, with 44 per cent of Edmonton residents saying the Notley government is doing enough, compared with 21 per cent in Calgary and only 19 per cent outside the two largest cities.
The poll comes as an intense debate has erupted in Canada over pipelines — particularly the Energy East and Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain projects — that would help move Alberta oil to export terminals on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre and regional politicians formally opposed Energy East last month, saying the environmental risks outweighed the benefits. Coderre later engaged in a war of words with western Canadian politicians, including Wildrose Leader Brian Jean over the issue.
The automated telephone poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, while regional results have a margin of error of three points.