Thursday, June 08, 2006

My Countrymen Are Dumb. D-U-M-Dumb.

A new poll suggests 80 per cent of Canadians expect gasoline prices to climb with the temperature this summer....

"Despite concerns about an energy shortage, Canadians historically have not demonstrated a commitment to change in behaviour when it comes when it comes to using gasoline," Tim More, senior vice-president for Ipsos Reid said in a written statement....

The poll also suggests Canadians aren't well informed about gas prices or where fuel comes from.

"Canada is a net exporter of gasoline but when you ask Canadians how much we produce domestically, most believe we get half our supply from somewhere else," said Colleen Killingsworth, president of the energy information centre.

The results reveal that more than a third of respondents thought Canadian gasoline prices were higher than those in Europe or Japan, when those foreign prices are twice as high as the Canadian rate, Ipsos Reid said.
I blame American media. Seriously. Just as deadbolt sales go up everytime Detroit television runs a crime special, Canadians seem to be under the mistaken impression that we - like our neighbours to the south - import most of our fuel.

Needless to say, I'd like to see the provincial breakdowns of those numbers. I would like to think that Albertans - at the very least! - know how much oil we make.

And the idea that we somehow think that Europeans or Japanese pay less for gasoline than Canada does is profoundly depressing.

For the record: Canada produces twice as much oil as it consumes, and is the second-least-taxed country in the industrial world when it comes to gasoline.

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