TORONTO – Close to half of Ontarians want to go to the polls after an auditor general report revealed the billion-dollar bill of the cancelled gas plants according to a new survey released by Forum Research.
The poll asked 1049 Ontario voters their feelings on the fallout of the cancelled gas plants in Mississauga and Oakville.
- 51 per cent of those surveyed think an election should be called
- 41 per cent don’t think an election should be held on the issue
- 8 per cent don’t have an opinion
Though the numbers of people wanting an election appear high, Lorne Bozinoff, President of Forum Research said in a press release Tuesday that the public may be growing weary of the gas plants saga as the number of people wanting a public enquiry falls from 50 to 45 per cent.
“We’ve been tracking the gas plants issue since it bubbled up, and it has always proven to be an intractable thorn in the government’s side,” he said. “It appears, however, despite the apparent election fever, that gas plant fatigue may finally be setting in.”
The Mississauga and Oakville gas plants were cancelled by the Dalton McGuinty government ahead of the 2011 general election.
Two auditor general reports since has revealed the cost of the cancellations could be upwards of $1.1 billion; $275 million for the Mississauga plant and between $675 and $810 million for the Oakville plant.
The survey also suggests 4 in 10 voters believe a crime was committed – though no charges have been laid in an ongoing OPP investigation.
The poll surveyed 1049 randomly selected Ontarians aged 18 or older between October 23 and 25. The results are considered accurate plus/minus 3 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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