Dennis King has at least one reason to smile this week.
In the midst of new public health restrictions and an outbreak of COVID-19 in Charlottetown, Narrative Research has released new opinion polls from the four Atlantic Canadian Provinces.
The polls show 91 per cent of P.E.I. residents are either mostly or completely satisfied with the performance of the Progressive Conservative government, up from 85 per cent in August.
Narrative Research CEO Margaret Brigley said the high rate of satisfaction is partly due to Islanders rallying behind the current government due to its successes in containing the spread of COVID-19. P.E.I. has seen 84 cases of the virus since last March, but prior to this week’s outbreak had seen no cases of known community spread and has seen no deaths due to the virus.
"I think the level of satisfaction with the performance of his government is pretty unprecedented," Brigley said.
Brigley said the P.E.I. government reached a 92 per cent level of satisfaction from voters in May, in the midst of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the highest level of satisfaction recorded by Narrative Research for any government in P.E.I. was 85 per cent support for the Binns government in 2000.
“I wouldn't even focus on any level of dissatisfaction in that regard because it's so clear that there is almost unanimous satisfaction,” Brigley said.
Support for the Progressive Conservative party also jumped from 48 per cent support of decided voters in August to 61 per cent. Both Opposition parties saw a slight dip in support from decided voters, with the Liberals dropping from 23 per cent support in August to 19 per cent in November and the Green party dropping from 25 per cent in August to 18 per cent in November.
The New Democratic Party also dropped slightly from 4 per cent support of decided voters to 2 per cent.
The poll was conducted between November 11 and 29 with a sample of 300 Island residents. The results have a margin of error of +/- 5.7 percentage points, 95 times out of 100. The questions about party preference have a margin of error of +/- 6.7 percentage points.
In terms of personal popularity, Dennis King was chosen as the preferred Premier of 54 per cent of Islanders, up from 45 per cent in August.
King’s personal popularity is far ahead of his counterparts in the rest of Atlantic Canada. Polls conducted by Narrative Research found that Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil was the top choice of 43 per cent of voters, while Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey was the choice of 52 per cent and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs was the choice of 39 per cent.
P.E.I. Green party leader Peter Bevan-Baker, whose popularity appeared unstoppable prior to the last provincial election, was the preferred choice of 19 per cent of Islanders, down from 26 per cent in August. Interim Liberal leader Sonny Gallant was the preferred choice of 9 per cent, similar to polling results seen since May. Fifteen per cent of Islanders were undecided on their preferred Premier, while 2 per cent said they preferred none of the party leaders.
Despite the apparent slip in support for Bevan-Baker and the Green party Brigley said the results are more indicative of support for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think it's not so much that they're in trouble as it is that the party in power is in such a strong position," she said of the Greens.
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