Polling research { finding,
support for Lions Gate
7 crossing tolls defended.
‘ By. lan Noble

ews. Rep reer
don@ninews.com

NORTH Shore Liberal MLA Katheri ine.
Whittred dismissed a poll showing.

the ork of n NDP- linked firm:

But the polli g company, "Vancouver-based -
wpoints: Research ‘Ltd. , said its polls are-done

“as

Mise

ie

4 scientifici y. and rebuked Whittred for her attack 7 &

nthe firm's
Ye The, survey
dents prefer. tol
crossing ie
According to:the , au of the’ 1, 500 ‘people
iterviewed preferred debt to finance the crossing. |.

72% of Greater Vancouver re
fer debe: to pay for a ‘new Lion

A. sample of 300:3 North s Shore. residents showed

45 Supported tolls :
lews ‘poll sy; don in same ‘January.
“February-0f1997. period, show.43,4%:of the’ 32
orth. ‘Shore 1 sidents polled support:tolls. to help” :
“costs, weary 37% wer
tolls and 20%, did 1 not. know.

OINtS.

ve people vill tol
ect tod
h

Whittred added Viewpoints is’ “the NDP 4
“polling firm” and, therefore she said tt sas alniost

ono credibility, “
- "But Viewpoints nartner “Steven ‘engison
strongly challenged Whittred’s as

on
1 take this as almost slanderous ‘and libélous
against me_ personally because hen Ido researel
> Pdon’t care who my client is,” he said. “P'do the
work-and ask the questions as- fairly as] cath and:
_these questions are.public record.” 7.’ ;
. “A she’s § accusing | ime of cooking this, I tak :
“turther action, he sald. eee ey
He said the results of the survey

it vo WH stand) up against: anybody's ;«
majority, ‘approval of First Narrows tolls,

sresearch, 4h
" Rengtson; who belongs t to, mare!
keting. societies - and majored: in.
psychology. and ‘statistics, added:
the survey’ was done swith: a very. .
‘large’ sample size-so that-it could.

“A be done with “some certainty,”

“To attack the research firm for:
delivering: the * message, is ridicu-
lous,”:he said.

Bengtson”. charged Whittred

th trying to. turn the poll into a:
political” issu ‘by. -attacking * the: ve
polling firm. ° :

“West. Vancouver ‘Mayo Pat’
Boname: criticized the poll because it ‘did not r talk
10 “enough commutets,’ who will’ be: the ‘ones Pay:
ing the. tolls if they a imposed,

If 1 never. go 'to-a Lions football : gamié or as
Cariucks: game J would be happy
hould be:$100.a seat,” she said, 41

n’t-have to > pay the

Heweret a, thes

h

Open 10- 6.
‘Mon- Sat.

atitet Nort! Vancouve
355, West: Queens. Road

a the. G

vsay, yes, it,
if \

of 146 frequent users on the Norifi Shore, 60%
sty pay with tolls while 2 29%, sayse, taxes: of bore

BG.

ofl Wi

“According tithe: "Transportation.

* Financing Authority, the survey helped shape the:

decisions: that led:to ‘Transportation: Minister Lats
Boone's annotinceinent in. April that capped gover

‘ernment contributions to auly new! project at: ‘$70

‘millions: ;
The survey. a also revealed: 7
- 62%. of respondents said: they rarely or’
ised the bridge and another 16% said they us
a bridge once a month or less}:
mi: vm of Gre ter Vancouver
four-lane bridg
: should tbe biti compar the:
7 a on the North Shor

ie a
atunnel, valle 48% :

replaced with:
t
Shore opt for he

North,

Vancouver. prefer;
bridge by’a 47% to 33%! ‘margin;
Mand 54% of, Greater Vancouver

“residents ‘surveyed » would *
over.a $2 toll’
‘Vv wpoin nple* was ‘generated
random digital’ dialing and th margin, of-error 0
er. Vancouver. sample was: said to be-plus
_ or.minus, 2,6%!'19 times ou 20 :

hy

meee f

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