Quebec premier has the highest approval rating in Canada, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford dwindles near bottom
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute shows that Quebec Premier François Legault and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe are seeing the highest approval ratings in Canada, while Ontario's Doug Ford, New Brunswick's Blaine Higgs and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson are at the bottom of the approval ratings.
After winning re-election in October, Legault is approved of by 57 per cent of people in Quebec, after facing a dip in support in the middle of the year.
Moe in Saskatchewan has regularly seen a high approval rating, coming in with 56 per cent approval in the province.
The premier with the lowest approval rating in Canada is Stefanson in Manitoba, at 26 per cent. Of the people in the province surveyed, 43 per cent indicated they "strongly disapprove" of the premier and 22 per cent indicated they "disapprove" of Stefanson.
"Earlier this month Stefanson announced $200 million in spending to add 2,000 health care professionals to the province, which, like the rest of the country, has faced immense challenges in this area," the Angus Reid Institute's findings read.
Moving east to Ontario, Premier Ford continues to see a low approval rating in the province at only 34 per cent. The Angus Reid Institute highlighted the recent criticism of the premier invoking the notwithstanding clause in an attempt the stop Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) education workers from striking.
"Ford’s government recently invoked and subsequently revoked the rarely used notwithstanding clause to ban Ontario education union members from striking and impose a new contract upon them," the information from the Angus Reid Institute reads.
"The decision to reverse course was made after much criticism and nationwide union protests planned in response. Ford stated last week that he would not use the clause again after a court ruled that his government’s proposed law to limit public sector wage growth (Bill 124) was unconstitutional."
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has been seeing a steady decline in his approval rating, now at 28 per cent approval in the province. The Angus Reid Institute highlights that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized Higgs in November for his handling of the review of the province's Official Languages Act, and has been called out by parents for the decision to eliminate the French immersion program.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3, with 5,030 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum.
