New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute has come out to show various premiers performances. Four premiers receive majority approval this quarter – Nova Scotia’s Tim Houston, Quebec’s François Legault (whose province also has an election scheduled this year), B.C.’s John Horgan, and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Andrew Furey. Manitoba’s premier Stefansonhas garnered lowest approval in early months of her tenure, Doug Ford is down six more points.
Each is dealing with a unique public opinion landscape, however, when it comes to COVID-19 policy. While Houston and his government receive top marks on testing and vaccination, majorities in each of the other three provinces say their government has done a poor job in supplying the population with sufficient levels of rapid testing.
When it comes to BC’s John Horgan, slightly more than half (54%) of British Columbians approve of Horgan, a rate consistent with data from the fall.
The data shows that Premier John Horgan’s approval rating has remained consistent as he guided the province through its weather challenges in the last few months, and the resurgent spread of COVID-19, which has again put the province’s heath-care system under immense pressure.
Still, British Columbians are growing more critical in their assessment of how Horgan has handled the COVID-19 pandemic, as the globe enters a third year of the challenges it has borne. While Horgan still enjoys the approval of half (53%) of British Columbians on the COVID-19 file, his support on this file has consistently declined throughout the course of the pandemic.
Unlike elsewhere in the country, rapid tests were not handed out widely to the general public in B.C. over the holidays, leading many to wonder what the province has done with the stockpile it received from the federal government.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said most of the tests have been deployed to “key strategic areas.” British Columbians are critical in their assessment of the government on this front of the pandemic. Two thirds (66%) say the province has done a poor job of making rapid tests available where they are needed.
Despite the province being slower than others in the country in expanding booster shot eligibility, overall, B.C. residents say the government has handled itself well in distributing the vaccine. Seven-in-ten (72%) say the NDP government has done a good job getting the population vaccinated, while one-in-five (21%) offer more criticism.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford down six more points in approval amid frustration in Ontario over his handling of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Fewer than one-in-three (30%) Ontarians approve of him, marking a new low for his tenure at Queen’s Park. This, as two-thirds of Ontarians (67%) say he has handled the pandemic poorly. Ford and his Progressive Conservative government are under heavy scrutiny over recent shortages of rapid tests in the province.
Threequarters of residents say the province has done a poor job in distributing tests where they are needed – the highest number in the country. Ford faces a provincial election in June this year.
More Key Findings:
• Despite being overwhelmingly positive about their provincial government’s handling of vaccination and testing in Saskatchewan, residents are critical of Premier Scott Moe’s pandemic stewardship. Fewer than two-in-five (37%) say he has done a good job himself of handling COVID-19.
• Alberta’s Jason Kenney continues to receive criticism over his COVID-19 strategy. Four-in-five (78%) say that he has done a poor job, compared to 19 per cent who offer approval.
• New Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson garners the lowest level of approval this quarter, with 21 per cent of residents commending her performance.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Jan. 7 – 12, 2022 among a representative randomized sample of 5,002 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum.
