Nationalize oil firms, almost half of Canadians say

[Newsjock]

http://globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050905.wgasss0905/BNStory/National

Canadian Press

Montreal — Almost half of Canadians wanted to see their petroleum resources and their gas companies nationalized as fuel prices hit record levels, a new poll suggests.

The Leger Marketing telephone survey of 1,500 people was conducted between Aug. 24 and Aug. 31, the bulk being done before the devastating effects of hurricane Katrina were felt.

... In the Leger poll, which was provided to The Canadian Press, 49 per cent of respondents wanted petroleum resources nationalized while 43 per cent said they would like to see the same fate for gas companies.

... Seventy-six per cent of respondents indicated they would like the government to intervene after recent gas hikes preceding Katrina. Fifty-four per cent suggested they would like the government to fix the pump price.

[Canuckistanian]

1. Damn, I love those Canadians

Oh, that's right, I am one. Hee-hee!

[merwin]

2. lucky SOB

[merwin]

3. lucky SOB

[aquart]

8. Oh, rub it in.

Pick on the pathetic third world nation just south of you, why don't you?

Next, you can kick a sandbag in our face.

[TahitiNut]

9. Well, I love my neighbors to the south, too.

They're Canadians ... who live in Windsor. :silly:

[Spinzonner]

4. I have my doubts about that

Even given that sometimes business is indistinguishable from government - and not in a good way - in todays world.

However, at the least they should be regulated utilities.

[Maple]

5. Cute, but it ain't gonna happen

We have no reason to for one thing. For another, we are bound by NAFTA.

And we don't have enough tranks in the whole country to calm the hysterics of Albertans if such a thing were even mentioned in a serious way. :7

[Canuckistanian]

6. Oh, God, no

Albertans are still screaming about Trudeau's National Energy Plan.
You'd think they were being rounded up for slaughter or something...

[Maple]

7. Yes, just breathe the word 'oil'

and they are immediately making plans for separation...not to mention hunger strikes, mass civil disobedience, and possibly war.

Maybe with those nuclear subs they want, eh?

I can't imagine any PM touching this issue with a ten foot pole...or even a 3 meter one. :rofl:

[Spazito]

12. LOL, NAFTA is quickly becoming an anathema to Canadians

more and more. It only takes 6 months notice to get out and if enough Canadians want out we will leave. As to Alberta, tough shit, that Ralphie won't be filling his coffers quite as much as he would like, Alberta will still do very well.

[Bassic]

13. Bah, Albertans are never happy anyway

;)

[applegrove]

10. Oh my god. We're dead! .... It is not actually funny. Our dollar will

go so high on Oil Exports, that all our other export industries will not be able to compete. Some of the natural resources will still sell - but not high tech or service.

So we will become a one hit wonder. Then - education will not be needed. Our economy will become "un-diversified". The Oil owning elites will take over power. They will toast each other and Big Oil with real cocktails. Women will no longer be aloud to drive. They will have to get "big hair". They may even wear fur coats - except they may actually need them.

Nope - it will not be pretty at all.

Either that or the U.S. invades.

I think we should sell Alberta.

[blindpig]

11. energy is too important to be left to the greedheads

If not nationalized then heavily regulated. To those who say that the "invisible hand" is the best regulator of the economy I say the invisible hand has got me by the balls!

[iverglas]

14. "ain't gonna happen" ...

Because Canada has a Liberal Party government, because Canada will always have a Liberal Party government, because Canadians will always vote for the Liberal Party ... well, except for the majority of Canadians who don't actually vote for the Liberal Party ...

Sadly, Canada had a "nationalized" oil company at one time: PetroCanada. It's been privatized.

It ain't gonna happen for a lot of reasons, but not necessarily because Canadians don't want it to happen -- although I suspect survey results like these to be generally expressions of pique about what happened that day.

NAFTA is a very big reason why it ain't gonna happen -- but absent NAFTA even, the corporate interests that now control energy resources, and the political formations in happy thrall to those corporate interests, would see to it.

And if people in the US can be whipped into an anti-universal health care frenzy by insurance companies, why would we think that people in Canada could not be whipped into an anti-public ownership of resources frenzy by energy companies?