In response to polling results on the Northern Gateway pipeline released on behalf of Enbridge by Ipsos Reid today, Eric Swanson, Campaign Director at Dogwood Initiative, said the following:

“Polling numbers routinely swing enormously depending on how the question is asked. In this case, the question of support for the pipeline is somewhat divorced from the threat of an oil spill.

“We have been polling for the past five years about allowing oil tanker traffic in B.C.’s inside coastal waters and 75 per cent of British Columbians consistently oppose introducing oil tankers to those waters.

“What today’s poll indicates is that some people aren’t automatically connecting this project to the increased threat of oil spills. The big question is whether people are willing to take that risk with their coast.

“Looking at other decisions in B.C., it’s clear that opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway project is very strong. In the riding that stands to be most affected, Nathan Cullen – a vocal opponent of Enbridge’s project – was elected in a landslide in the last federal election. And in the recent local elections, many northern communities elected representatives who also strongly oppose the project.”

Contact:
Eric Swanson
Dogwood Initiative
250370-9939 ext. 27

 

Thank you to Ecstatacist on Flickr for the image. Used under a creative commons license.