ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — David Maher
The Telegram
A pair of polls released on Thursday should give Premier Dwight Ball a reason to smile as he prepares to leave the Premier’s Office.
An Angus Reid Survey has found Ball’s approval rating has jumped by 31 points between February and May, from 26 per cent to 57 per cent.
The May approval rating is the second highest in his tenure as premier. When first elected, Ball’s approval was above 60 per cent, which plummeted to below 20 per cent following the controversial 2016 provincial budget. May marks the first time Ball’s approval rating moved above 50 per cent since that budget.
Ball resigned the position of Premier on Feb. 17, less than a month before the COVID-19 pandemic struck Newfoundland and Labrador. The pandemic halted the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador’s search for Ball’s successor. The Liberal leadership race could resume on June 8, pending a decision by the Liberal party's executive.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from May 19-24, among a representative randomized sample of 5,001 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of ±1.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Liberals lead
A Narrative Research poll has found decided voters leaning Liberal, as the government party expands its lead over opposition parties.
The poll found support for the Liberals jumped to 60 per cent in May, up from 37 per cent in February. Ches Crosbie’s Progressive Conservative party’s support has dropped to 26 per cent from 35 per cent in February.
The New Democratic Party has also lost support, according to the survey, down to 13 per cent in May from 26 per cent in February.
Overall satisfaction with the government’s performance has increased to the highest level since 2011, according to Narrative Research. Overall satisfaction is up to 78 per cent in May, rising from 40 per cent in February. The last time approval for the government was that high was in August 2011, under then-premier Kathy Dunderdale.
“This strong level of support for Premier Ball and his government is unprecedented during his time in office and reflects the high level of confidence the public has expressed with his leadership throughout the pandemic,” Margaret Brigley, CEO of Narrative Research, stated in a news release.
“It’s not surprising that support for a government is escalated during a time of crisis given the increased profile and regular public briefings. For the moment that confidence has translated into increased voter intentions for the Liberal party.”
These results are part of Narrative Research’s Atlantic Quarterly, an independent quarterly telephone survey of Atlantic Canadians, and are based on a sample of 801 adult residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. The survey was conducted from April 29 to May 26, with overall results accurate to within ±3.5 percentage points, 95 times out of 100.
@DavidMaherNL
