Six of 10 NBers oppose pact: poll
Published Tuesday November 24th, 2009
FREDERICTON - A new public opinion poll shows 60 per cent of New Brunswickers are against the proposed sale of most of NB Power to Hydro-Québec.
The opposition is in stark contrast to the 55 per cent of Quebecers who support the agreement, according to the poll conducted by Montreal-based Léger Marketing for Quebecor Media Inc.
The survey found that while 60 per cent of New Brunswickers are against the deal, 22 per cent say they have favourable views and 18 per cent didn't respond or said they were unsure how they viewed it.
"There were two main reasons people in New Brunswick gave for being against the deal," Léger Marketing spokesman Mathieu Gagné said Monday.
"As consumers there seemed to be a fear that the power needs of New Brunswickers won't be looked after and that decisions affecting them will be made outside of the province," he said. "The other main concern is the loss of NB Power's strategic assets."
The poll was conducted by Internet between Nov. 19 and 21, with 502 New Brunswickers age 18 and over responding. The survey has a statistical margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points, 19 times out 20.
A similar survey was conducted in Quebec, following the same sampling process and surveying 503 people. In those findings, 55 per cent of Quebecer's had favourable views on the deal, compared to 14 per cent against the deal and 31 per cent who didn't answer.
"Some of the people polled in Quebec said they recognized the opportunity of acquiring the assets of NB Power and its geographic advantage in accessing U.S. markets," Gagné said. "Others seemed to be unaware of the agreement or neutral."
The poll revealed that discontent in New Brunswick over the NB Power deal has given the Progressive Conservative Opposition a boost in public support.
When New Brunswickers were asked about their voting intentions in the survey, 45 per cent said they would support the Conservatives if a provincial election was held now.
Liberal support came in at 33 per cen,t while the New Democrats held 19 per cent of public support. Other political parties or candidates netted four per cent in support.
As for the Graham government's satisfaction rate, 35 per cent of survey respondents said they're satisfied with the government's performance, while 57 per cent said they're not. Eight per cent of respondents said they were unsure if they're satisfied or not.
The survey also asked respondents in favour of the sale of most of NB Power's assets to Hydro-Québec why they supported the deal. Nearly 50 per cent said they were supportive because they hoped such a transaction would significantly reduce the province's debt. Another 33 per cent said they were encouraged by the proposed five-year rate freeze.
When asked by reporters about the poll, Quebec Premier Jean Charest was careful in his response, saying only that the deal was good for New Brunswick.
"It's not for us to intervene in New Brunswick's internal affairs," Charest told a news conference. "What we are proposing is good for New Brunswick, it's good for New Brunswick consumers, it makes sense. New Brunswick will keep its sovereignty on its energy decisions."
- with files from CanadaEast News Service and The Canadian Press
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Enjoy unemployment next year, Liberal MLAs. Most of you seem to lack the courage necessary to stand up to the Premier and do what your employers are demanding of you.
78% on NBers don't have favorable view on the sale of NB Power.
that's what your statistics show.
We know who will really benefit from the sale of this publicly owned utility. How can this government sell something that belongs to the people of NB and then use the proceeds of that sale to subsidies industry?
If we are giving billions to industrial users shouldn't we get some equity?
Curling is a rich man's game, and selling NB Power to Quebec is also a rich man's game, and we know who benefits most. A report next to this one, in today's paper, shows how wide the gap is growing between the rich and the poor, and there's a reason for that: the wealthy and powerful need control. It's the old master-slave mentality, people merely donning different apparel. And it's precisely for that that otherwise good reporters have been willing to sell their integrity down the tubes promoting this deal too.
This deal only makes sense to big business, not to the common resident. Sure, there will be a change in government next year, but it will be a done deal by then, and the politicians who brokered the deal will belong in the A column, where the wealthy reside. Anyone remember wee Frank?
Since deferred shares are now being considered in the private sector in an attempt to encourage management to think long term, why not tie the politician’s pension plans to a public vote every 5 years. If the people vote ‘thumbs up’, then the politicians pensions get doubled, if ‘thumbs down’, they get cut in half and so on for the next 5 years.. IF this deal does work, the doubling of pensions would be a small price to pay. If it doesn’t the voter would get some satisfaction.(revenge?)
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