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As he traipses round the world collecting new fans and socks, Justin Trudeau might reflect that things are going pretty well.

When viewed from 35,000 feet above the issues, the Prime Minister is presiding over a new gilded age — a Reputation Institute study just named Canada number one in its index of most reputed countries, while an Ipsos MORI poll ranked it as the most positive influence on world affairs.

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But on the ground, the reality is more ambiguous. The Liberal government has invested great political capital in efforts to build a pan-Canadian consensus when it comes to carbon taxes and pipelines.

Polling from fall last year suggested it might be possible to carry a majority of support in every region of the country, if a national carbon pricing plan that encouraged a shift toward greater use of clean energy were accompanied by a pipeline to get oil and gas to new markets.

The plan linking the introduction of carbon taxes with pipeline approval was a winner, gaining the support of three out of four Canadians, with majorities in every region, according to the survey by Abacus Data.