Half of Canadians approve carbon pricing plan: poll

About half of Canadians approve the federal government’s carbon pricing plan.

A new Mainstreet/Postmedia poll found 51 per cent of people in the country approve the plan with or without the help of the provinces with 21 per cent of people strongly approving the plan.

In Saskatchewan, 55 per cent want the province to come up with a carbon pollution plan, compared to 22 per cent who say they should let the federal government mandate the price. A total of 23 per cent of people in the province were unsure.

In Manitoba, almost seven in 10 say they want a provincial government plan versus only one in 10 who want a federal plan, with 22 per cent unsure.

In Alberta, over three quarters of those asked said they are more likely to support a carbon pollution plan if the federal government approves some pipeline development. Just six per cent said they were less likely to support the Alberta plan if the federal government gives the green light to some pipelines that might help the oilsands dependent province.

Atlantic Canada is overwhelmingly in favour of provincial plans. In Newfoundland & Labrador, 67 per cent said they want the province to come up with a system versus just 17 per cent who want to have the federal government impose the plan. In PEI and Nova Scotia, similarly 65 per cent and 61 per cent versus 15 per cent and 27 per cent. The support for a provincial system is highest in New Brunswick where 77 per cent say they want a provincial plan compared to just 11 per cent who want a federal government plan.

There were 5,525 Canadians surveyed for the poll from Oct. 5-6. The Mainstreet/Postmedia Poll has a margin of error of +/- 1.33, 19 times out of 20.