Internal PMO polls showed support for pipeline plan

Internal government polling guided Prime Minister Mark Carney during talks with Alberta and British Columbia over a proposed oil pipeline to the Pacific Coast, according to documents obtained by Global News. The polls, run through the Privy Council Office’s weekly survey program, asked Canadians in late November whether they supported new or expanded oil pipelines. In one question, 67% of respondents said yes, and support was reported in every region, including 64% in British Columbia and 56% in Quebec. A second, more critical question framed pipelines around environmental risks and still found 62% support. After Canada and Alberta signed an energy cooperation agreement in early December, another poll found 53% of respondents called the deal a good decision for the country, with plurality support in every region. The article says the polling data helped shape the government’s approach to the pipeline file.