It seems that many British Columbians are quite happy with the way John Horgan and the NDP government has handled the current COVID-19 pandemic.
A new survey released by the Angus Reid Institute shows British Columbia sits close to the top of the list in Canada when it comes to provincial government satisfaction over the course of the health crisis.
It shows 87 per cent of British Columbians say they believe the BC Government has handled the pandemic well. Only New Brunswick (91 per cent) and Newfoundland (89 per cent) scored higher, according to the poll results.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Manitoba’s approval rating bottoms out at just 70 per cent and Alberta’s approval rating came close to that with 75 per cent.
While provincial governments cannot yet claim full victory in the long and ongoing fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, the Angus Reid study shows that electoral positions are apparently gaining ground.
Along with the overall satisfaction, in each of the provinces canvassed the governing party now holds a vote intention advantage of at least six points, said Angus Reid.
In British Columbia, the analysis shows the NDP government has been able to significantly benefit from its handling of COVID-19.
The poll results suggest the support for the NDP among decided voters has hit 47 per cent. The BC Liberal Party came in at 29 per cent, while the Green Party only mustered 12 per cent support.
British Columbia is slated to hold its next election in 2021.
The impact has been considerable in both Ontario and Quebec as well, with the respective parties of the Ford and Legault governments now each enjoying more than a 15-point lead – similar to Horgan.
BC scored the highest rating of all the provinces surveyed when it came to handling health care issues. According to Angus Reid, 67 per cent of people surveyed said the government has done a good job with health care in the province.
“While two-thirds in British Columbia (67%) and three-in-five in Saskatchewan (59%) say their government has done a good job with health care in their province, other provinces are closer to half, or below that mark. Meanwhile, nearly every region of the country receives poor marks for handling of drug use and addictions, as well as seniors care,” the Institute said.
British Columbia scored 36 per cent approval on handling drug use and addiction issues during the pandemic, while scoring 38 per cent on seniors care issues.
Graham Cox
