(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Canada have a clear idea of which energy policies should be a priority for the country, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies released by Corus Radio. 68 per cent of respondents would focus on conserving energy and resources, and regulating energy use and prices.

Conversely, 23 per cent of respondents would concentrate on expanding exploration, mining and drilling, and building new power plants.

Canadians renewed the House of Commons in January 2006. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 36.3 per cent of the vote, and secured 124 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper formed a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.

On Oct. 8, Alberta premier Ed Stelmach criticized a proposal by the Conservative government—which seeks to generate 90 per cent of the country’s electricity from non-carbon emitting sources by 2020—saying, "Albertans will decide, not the federal government, if we have nuclear power in this province. No other jurisdiction other than Alberta."

The next federal election in Canada is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Polling Data

Right now, which one of the following directives do you think should be the most important priority for Canadian energy policy?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies / Corus Radio
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,005 Canadian adults, conducted on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

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