Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Oil pipelines, tankers ‘most pressing’ issue in B.C.: poll

OTTAWA — The possibility of more crude oil pipelines and oil tankers in B.C. ranks second only to the economy as the most important issue facing the province, according to a new poll of British Columbians living near a proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion route.

The telephone survey last month by the polling firm Strategic Communications involved 600 respondents in 19 of B.C.’s 36 ridings representing about 60 per cent of the population.

The poll put pipeline tankers slightly behind the economy and ahead of health care among the list of issues mentioned first among the “most important” issues facing the province.

“It is very unusual to see a single issue top health care or come so close to tying with the economy as the most pressing issue in B.C.,” said Strategic Communications president Bob Penner, who was hired by the anti-pipeline Living Oceans Society to survey attitudes on pipeline matters.

“This has become a critical issue in B.C.”

The telephone survey began with an open-ended question asking, “What, in your opinion, is the most important issue facing British Columbians today?”

The economy got the nod from 14.9 per cent of respondents, while pipelines and tankers was a close second at 14.1 per cent. Health care was third at 12.2 per cent.

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The Living Oceans Society news release said the 19 B.C. ridings chosen were “along the route,” though Kinder Morgan said it counts only nine ridings that the proposed pipeline will actually cross.

Penner said his firm chose ridings, including five in Vancouver, based on proximity and the likelihood that residents will be concerned about possible leaks and increased tanker traffic. )

The results came from one of two surveys from Strategic Communications on the two major oilsands pipeline projects being proposed for B.C. — Enbridge’s more advanced Northern Gateway $6-billion oilsands line to Kitimat and Kinder Morgan’s proposed $4.1-billion twinning of its existing Trans Mountain pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby.

The second survey was a provincewide Internet poll of 1,012 British Columbians that was also done in August.

Opponents greatly outnumber supporters in both cases, though opposition was stronger against Northern Gateway.

Living Oceans Society spokeswoman Karen Wristen acknowledged that the B.C. environmental movement wants to focus more public attention on the Trans Mountain project, though she said her movement is far from declaring victory in the Northern Gateway battle.

“I think it’s fair to say we’re going to be focusing more on Kinder Morgan,” Wristen said.

Kinder Morgan wants to more than double the 1,150-kilometre line’s capacity, from 300,000 to 750,000 barrels a day.

“We’ve always expected that there will be opposition, especially for a project of this magnitude and this complexity over this number of years,” said Lizette Parsons Bell, head of stakeholder engagement and communications for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.

“What we’re really hoping is that people will engage with us, and learn the facts so they can make an informed decision, and we can have a real dialogue based on the facts.”

She said Kinder Morgan, which recently submitted a toll application to the federal National Energy Board but won’t table a project application until late 2013, will be holding meetings with the public in early October.

The provincewide online survey of 1,012 British Columbians, done August 8 to 10, found that 60 per cent of respondents opposed the Northern Gateway project compared to 20 per cent in favour. The rest were either neutral or wouldn’t say.

That same poll found that 50 per cent were against Kinder Morgan’s project, compared to 22 per cent in support.

That poll has an error margin of 2.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20, according to Strategic Communications.

The telephone poll of 600 near the Kinder Morgan route found 61 per cent against Northern Gateway compared to 19 per cent in favour. It also found 51 per cent against Trans Mountain compared to 22 per cent in favour.

Strategic Communications said that poll has an error margin of 3.5 per cent.

Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Peter O'Neil

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