A new poll from Angus Reid shows significant support from people in Quebec for Canada to build sea-to-sea oil and gas pipelines. Gabriel Giguère, a senior policy analyst with the Montreal Economic Institute, says it’s support like he has never seen before.
“ It’s not possible to tell me there’s no social
Here’s what he had to say.
acceptability when you have twice as many people who want a pipeline than those who don’t. There is clearly social acceptability.
CEC: Where does Quebec get its energy from? Giguère: Quebec’s electricity comes from local hydroelectric power, while oil and gas primarily come from Canada and the United States. This is a major shift from 2005, when oil was sourced from Algeria, the UK, Norway, Mexico and Venezuela and only a small amount from Canada. Today, it’s almost entirely from Canada and the United States. CEC: How would an oil pipeline from Alberta benefit the people of Quebec? Giguère: It’s clear it will help Canadians diversify their trading partners. A pipeline will also create jobs, benefiting Quebec workers. Quebec is a part of Canada, and unity is essential. The good news is we all seem to agree on that. According to the latest poll from Angus Reid, it’s unanimous. There is
broad support for new pipelines to expand our trade relationships. The United States has been a strong trading partner, but there is ongoing uncertainty that has made diversification essential. We all know that investors don’t like uncertainty. To achieve certainty, we need the right infrastructure to be able to diversify. In Quebec, twice as many people support a new pipeline than oppose it. I don’t remember having data like that before. This is a clear and significant shift, especially for the oil and gas sector, which is one of Canada’s most vital economic sectors. This is very good news. CEC: What has changed that is making Quebecers more supportive of a project like this? Giguère: I believe the tariff threat was the spark. People are now starting to
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