The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Canadians are not sold on airport privatization, according to a
new poll that found most people think it is a bad idea.
The Globe's Bill Curry writes that the federal Liberals continue
to study options for privatizing the largest airports, based
on the advice of two government panels that urged Ottawa
to consider the idea as a way to help pay for new infrastructure.
However, an Angus Reid survey found that 53 per cent of Canadians said privatizing Canada's eight largest
airports would be either a bad or very bad idea. Only 21 per
cent said it was a good or very good idea, while 26 per cent
said they did not know. The on-line poll surveyed 1,508 participants. A survey sample
of this size would carry a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The Globe has previously reported that internal focus-group polling on the issue
conducted by the feds last year also found unease with the concept of airport
privatization. Canada's eight largest airports
operate as not-for-profit airport authorities. Not surprisingly, airport authorities in Ottawa,
Calgary and Vancouver have organized a campaign to oppose the move.
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