The strategic council did a poll to see whether or not voters support a cut in the gas tax. The results showed 57% in support of cutting gas taxes even if it meant running a deficit as opposed to 36% who did not support cutting the tax.
The most interesting part of this poll was that the over whelming support for cutting gas taxes came from Green Party and NDP supporters! 70% of Green party supporters and 60% of NDP supporters support cutting the Federal gas tax.
This should serve as an omen to Dion who is debating on campaigning over a "Carbon Tax" this summer.
I don't have a direct link to the poll results but I do have the link to the Mike Duffy interview with Peter Donolo with the Strategic Council. If any one can find the link to the actual poll please post it.
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/mike-duffy-live/tuesday-may-13-2008/#clip52759
*(Can someone please explain to me how to post videos dirrectly into a thread)
Canadians are only green until it comes to dipping into their wallets.
The economy trumps the environment, with this "slowing" of the economy the environment talks will always move to the back burner.
It's one thing to ask people if they "support reducing CO2 emissions" but entirely another if you ask them "would you pay to reduce CO2 emissions". You'll get some very different answer depending on how you pose the question.
There's already another topic on this, but I'm really surprised at the Green and the NDP. Hypocrites
Screw running a deficit, cut spending on all the horse crap the gov. spends our money on....like the CBC.
It's not hypocritical to not want to Pay Taxes, that's just human nature. It can work against your Interest though.
Cutting Gas Taxes won't save much money for anyone and running a Deficit should be more a concern than Fuel costs.
I saw an interview with Kenneth Galbrith one time where he described the reaction to rationing gasoline in WWII. He was a young economist at the time and worked for the American agency that handled the rationing. He said people did not mind it except for gasoline. So even in times of war people wanted their gasoline. Of course it's one thing everyone gripes about as well, so this is really no surprise.
Everyone that wants to lower the price of gas but keeps buying it is a hypocrite. You can reduce taxes, you can stop buying gas for five days, you can steal gas and sell it on the black market, the price will still go up, as long as you continue to use gas.
Suggesting that folks simply stop driving is ignorant.
Most people simply have no alternatives.
And to paraphrase an old saying, everyone wants to save the environment, we just don't want to do what it takes to do so.
Everybody also wants bananas and coffee but they don't grow in Canada either.
I heard this line. What people want is not to save the planet but rather to consume the planet.