32% of Canadians support TPP trade deal while many uncertain, poll suggests

While Canadians expect the TPP to have positive effects overall, the possible damages to their own communities are leaving many uncertain.

Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland says the federal government is studying economic impacts of the controversial agreement.

Freeland has signed the massive 12-country Pacific Rim treaty in New Zealand on Feb. 3, a deal opponents warn could eliminate Canadian jobs and damage some sectors of the economy.

Her signature comes before the government has finished assessing the economic costs and benefits the deal potentially holds for Canada.

Freeland makes clear that signing the deal does not necessarily mean ratification, which is a final step that is up to two years away.

The Liberals have billed the signature as a “technical step” that will allow Canada to stay at the bargaining table. In the meantime, the government is taking a closer look at the TPP’s potential consequences.

Public opinion polling on the Trans-Pacific Partnership by the Angus Reid Institute. (Angus Reid Institute)

There is a growing pessimism about the effect the trade deal will have on employment in local communities, suggests a new poll.

The survey, conducted by the Angus Reid Institute between Jan. 27 and 31, gauged Canadians’ views on the TPP. Many Canadians may be split on the issue, but half of those polled expressed no opinion on the trade deal.