Wall Finishes the Year as Canada’s Most Popular Premier
As 2012 draws to a close, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall retains his status as the Canadian provincial head of government with the highest approval rating, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
The online survey of a representative national sample of 6,619 Canadian adults asked respondents in nine provinces about the performance of their respective heads of government.
In Saskatchewan, two thirds of respondents (67%) are content with Wall’s performance, a rating that has remained stable for the past six months.
No other premier surpasses the 50 per cent mark this quarter. Alberta’s Alison Redford is second on the list (47%, -8 since August), followed by Manitoba’s Greg Selinger (46%, -2).
In her first appearance as Quebec’s Premier, Pauline Marois posts an approval rating of 41 per cent, nine points higher than the last reading for her predecessor, Jean Charest.
More than a third of respondents in Newfoundland and Labrador (37%) and New Brunswick (35%) approve of their respective premiers: Kathy Dunderdale and David Alward. Dunderdale’s rating fell slightly since August, while Alward’s dropped by 12 points, effectively erasing the gains made over the summer.
Three-in-ten British Columbians and Nova Scotians (31%) approve of the way Christy Clark and Darrell Dexter are handling their duties.
The lowest approval rating this month is for outgoing Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty (23%).
The Opposition
The survey also asked respondents to provide an approval rating for all of the opposition party leaders in their respective province. Nova Scotia Liberal leader Stephen McNeil and British Columbia New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Adrian Dix head the list at 53 per cent.
Five other leaders posted positive numbers: Coalition for the Future of Quebec leader François Legault (50%), Alberta Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith, Newfoundland and Labrador NDP leader Lorraine Michael and Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath (all three at 48%), and Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party leader Brian Pallister (47%)
The lowest rated leaders on this list are New Brunswick Liberal leader Brian Gallant (39%) and Saskatchewan interim NDP leader John Nilson (35%).
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
Methodology: From November 25 to December 3, 2012, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 6,619 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 1.2%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
