Dwight Ball 3rd most popular premier in Angus Reid poll

What a difference a year has made for Dwight Ball's ranking on the list of best and worst premiers.

The latest Angus Reid poll, released Wednesday, has the Newfoundland and Labrador premier as the country's third most popular, with an approval rating of 42 per cent.

In March of 2017, he was the second lowest in Canada, with a 20 per cent approval rating.

The latest numbers from Angus Reid, which come less than a week before the Newfoundland and Labrador budget, have Ball up seven percentage points from the last quarter but still well below his peak rating of 60 per cent in early 2016.

Leading the pack are two newly elected premiers — Scott Moe in Saskatchewan and John Horgan in British Columbia — who both scored 52 per cent.

Ontario's Kathleen Wynne remains at the bottom.

Ball's reaction was low-key.

"In 2016 we put in place a plan in this province and we're working that every day," he said Wednesday. "Obviously people in this province are recognizing that the plan is working to their benefit."

A separate poll, done by Corporate Research Associates in February, showed that 41 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador residents surveyed would vote Liberal if a provincial election were held today.

The Angus Reid Institute surveyed 5,423 Canadian adults in the online poll, which was done March 6-15.

Results are considered accurate within two percentage points 19 times out of 20.