NOTLEY COULD USE DAY OF GOOD NEWS ON TRANS MOUNTAIN
Even as poll offers hope on public-opinion front, Kinder Morgan CEO rains on parade
For Alberta’s NDP government, it must have been nice while it lasted.
For a few hours Wednesday, the government was basking in a bit of good news.
According to a new public opinion poll, Premier Rachel Notley has come out on top in the fight over the expansion plans for Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline. Well, she’s come out on top as compared to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B.C. Premier John Horgan.
But, hey, these days the NDP will take what good news it can get on the pipeline front.
The Angus Reid survey indicates 42 per cent of Canadians think Notley is doing a good job handling the dispute, compared with 36 per cent for Trudeau and 31 per cent for Horgan.
(At the national level, the online poll of 2,125 Canadians conducted April 16-17 has a margin of error of three percentage points, 19 times out of 20).
The poll has other good news for Notley.
“More Canadians appear to be losing patience with the B.C. government’s delay tactics,” said Angus Reid.
The proportion of Canadians who say the B.C. government is wrong to oppose the project is 64 per cent. That’s up from 55 per cent in February — a rise of nine per cent.
The proportion who say the B.C. government is right to oppose the project has fallen from 45 per cent to 36 per cent — a corresponding drop of nine per cent.
What about the people who live in B.C.?
Apparently, a clear majority — 54 per cent — support the pipeline, while 38 per cent oppose it.
Even when you break down the polling numbers within regions of B.C., the project is not the pariah Horgan seems to think it is.
On Vancouver Island: 54 per cent support the project; 43 per cent are opposed.
Metro Vancouver: 50 per cent in favour; 39 per cent opposed.
The rest of B.C.: 60 per cent give it a thumbs-up; 32 per cent thumbs down.
After watching daily news coverage of angry protesters at the Kinder Morgan facility in Burnaby, the Angus Reid poll presents a completely different picture of B.C.’s view of the pipeline project.
The survey also asked British Columbians an interesting, and key, question that touched on the B.C. government’s suggestion it has jurisdiction over the pipeline.
Question: “If the courts rule that B.C. does NOT have constitutional authority to block the pipeline, should the B.C. government …”
“Give in and allow the pipeline
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to be built”: 69 per cent
“Stand firm in trying to block
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the pipeline”: 31 per cent
That’s fascinating. A significant majority of B.C. residents, including a third who oppose the project, think Horgan should give up if he loses his fight in the courts.
Alberta’s NDP must have felt a twinge of optimism, if not triumph.
But that feeling probably passed quickly when word came Wednesday afternoon that Kinder Morgan CEO Steve Kean still worries the project is doomed because of opposition from B.C.
“It’s become clear this particular investment may be untenable for a private party to undertake,” said Kean, who didn’t sound reassured by recent promises from Ottawa and Alberta to financially backstop the $7.4-billion project if necessary. “The events of the last 10 days have confirmed those views.”
Notley tried to downplay Kean’s comments, suggesting Kinder Morgan officials are much more optimistic in private conversations.
“The message we’re getting back is they are pleased with the high level of engagement happening between us and the federal government,” said Notley. “I remain confident we will be successful in meeting those deadlines.”
Perhaps Kean is simply playing a little politics of his own, keeping up the pressure on Notley and Trudeau as they enter financial discussions.
But opposition politicians in Alberta didn’t see any silver lining in Wednesday’s news.
“She’s constantly had this tendency to declare victory when we’re further and further away from the certainty we need for this project,” said United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney of Notley’s optimism. “I wish the premier was more focused on reality than wishful thinking.”
And Notley is no doubt wishing she could have at least one whole day of good news on the pipeline front without somebody spoiling it.