A new poll says the majority of Canadians support implementing bans on non-essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Co. says their latest survey shows 80 per cent of respondents agree with prohibiting non-essential travel between provinces.
The Vancouver-based firm also says the poll of a representative national sample also showed 72 per cent in favour of prohibiting non-essential travel inside their own province.
That figure rises to 78 per cent for people aged 55 and over, and to 81 per cent for federal Liberal Party voters.
Premier John Horgan recently said his government would not be pursuing legislation to limit travel, after consulting with legal professionals.
“The review of our legal options made it clear we can’t prevent people from travelling to British Columbia,” Horgan said in a statement on Thursday.
“We can impose restrictions on people travelling for non-essential purposes if they are causing harm to the health and safety of British Columbians.”
The premier added that much of the current interprovincial travel that is occurring right now is work-related and cannot be restricted.
Politicians across the country stirred controversy when it was found that several elected officials, including civic officials on Vancouver Island and provincial officials in Alberta and Quebec, had travelled during the holiday season.
Research Co. says that in their survey, 61 per cent of Canadians saw these incidents as serious offences and want these individuals to resign or face recall votes.
Methodology: results are based on an online survey conducted from January 18 to January 20, 2021, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
