World

Poll: Climate Change Taxes Losing Appeal Among Canadians

Ian Langsdon/Pool via Reuters - RC19F7E98420

David Krayden Ottawa Bureau Chief
Font Size:

Climate change legislation and its inherent taxes appear to be losing their appeal among Canadians, according to a new Angus-Reid poll.

Not only has support for a federal carbon tax plummeted from 56 percent when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assumed office to 45 percent today, but a majority say the federal government should not be telling Canadians that they have to pay a carbon tax.

According to the poll, 64 percent of those surveyed say their province should decide whether a carbon tax is legislated or not. That bodes well for the new Conservative government in Ontario, where Premier Doug Ford has staked considerable political capital on opposing Trudeau’s carbon tax. The Ontario results mirror the national results exactly, with 64 percent siding with Ford.

Voters also say Ford is right about ending Ontario’s commitments to cap and trade — a Byzantine environmental formula that punishes big carbon producers — rewards companies with low emissions and ultimately pushes energy costs up. Nationally, 51  percent of those asked says Ford is right to end the climate change scheme, while in his own province of Ontario, 55 percent are behind the premier’s decision.

The results do not bode well for the Trudeau government, which has banked on its climate change legislation for its potential reelection in 2019. Trudeau even renamed the minister of environment position, adding “and climate change” to Catherine McKenna’s title. Yet the survey revealed that 48 percent of Liberal voters want Trudeau to back off from his climate change agenda.

Overall, despite years of government indoctrination, a bare majority, 56 percent, say climate change is real and caused by humans. The remainder either say it is real but results from natural causes, don’t believe it exists or aren’t sure.

The Angus Reid poll was conducted online with 1,500 adult Canadians. It is considered accurate within 2.2 percent, 19 times out of 20.

Follow David on Twitter