03/25/2022
The National Post reports in its Friday edition that most Quebecers believe their province should be more self-sufficient when it comes to fossil fuels, according to a new poll. The Post's Catherine Levesque writes that more than half (52 per cent) of Quebecers polled by Ipsos agreed that the province should develop its own oil and natural gas industries instead of importing the resources it consumes for transport or heating. This represents an increase of nine points compared with August, 2021. Meanwhile, 28 per cent of Quebecers think that the province should continue importing oil and gas, a decrease of three points since last year. The remaining respondents (20 per cent) said they do not know what is the best way for Quebec to meet its energy needs. The poll comes as questions arise about Canada and the world's dependence on foreign oil and gas, namely from Russia. It was based on a sample of 1,007 Quebec residents who were interviewed between Feb. 25 and March 2, in the first few days when Russia invaded Ukraine. Canada has not imported any crude oil from Russia since 2019 and has announced a ban on future imports. (Questerre has protested Quebec's proposed Bill 21, which will ban exploration for oil and gas.)
