Canada: Support for the Liberals' Green Shift dropping: Poll

WINNIPEG - Support for the Liberals' Green Shift carbon tax proposal fell over the summer, signalling leader Stephane Dion faces "a big problem" with the centerpiece of his election campaign platform, says Darrell Bricker, president of the Ipsos-Reid polling firm.

An Ipsos-Reid poll of 1,003 adults completed Aug. 26-28 found a majority of 51 per cent support for the Green Shift in July has flipped to a majority of 52 per cent opposed now. That is a seven-point decline in support and a nine-point rise in opposition. Four per cent are undecided.

"The Liberals have got to get more aggressive and they have to really try and do a better job of selling it," Bricker said in an interview. "Secondly, they've got to make this campaign about more than the Green Shift. The Green Shift alone will not defeat the Conservatives."

Opposition to the plan soared 18 points to 64 per cent in Alberta, a bastion of Conservative support in the heart of Canada's oil and gas industry, where the Liberals have little hope of winning seats in a federal election.