BC Premier John Horgan Has Best Premier Approval Rating In Canada! 

Amid worsening situations in their provinces, Jason Kenney and Brian Pallister receive worst approval ratings for their handling of the pandemic response. Last week Kenney cast a light on the South Asians in the province, saying that new cases within that community were a “wakeup call” for the group to reduce social contacts. Opposition politicians condemned the premier for singling out that community in particular but evidently deciding not to mention others who have been defying group-size restrictions to protest in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer.

By R. Paul Dhillon – DESIBUZZCanada Editor

CALGARY –Alberta premier Jason Kenney, who blamed the South Asian community for the spread but looked the other way when a bunch of anti-maskers held a rally, is the worst premier in Canada according to a recent poll of Canadian Premiers’ performance. 

Amid worsening situations in their provinces, Jason Kenney and Brian Pallister receive worst approval ratings for their handling of the pandemic response.

Alberta is the only province in Canada without a province-wide mask mandate and Premier Jason Kenney continues to resist such a policy, suggesting it would create a backlash from residents. Most of the province is under such a mandate due to municipal rules, but Kenney’s actions appear to be generating criticism from some Albertans.

 Last week the Premier cast a light on the South Asians in the province, saying that new cases within that community were a “wakeup call” for the group to reduce social contacts. Opposition politicians condemned the premier for singling out that community in particular but evidently deciding not to mention others who have been defying group-size restrictions to protest in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer. Just 40 per cent of Albertans approve of Kenney’s performance as Alberta currently faces the worst outbreak in the country.

The only provincial leader generating an approval rating lower than Jason Kenney is Manitoba’s Brian Pallister. Just 32 per cent of residents approve of the Progressive Conservative leader, representing a 12-point drop from last quarter. Manitoba is currently under some of the strictest lockdown measures in the country, with the province asking people to only leave their homes for essentials and restricting private and public gatherings. Manitoba health officials, alongside Alberta, are dealing with the fastest spread of the virus in the country over the past two weeks on a per capita basis.

Meanwhile BC’s newly re-elected premier John Horgan topped the list of the best premiers in Canada with 64 percent support. 

Horgan and his New Democrats gambled with an early election call in October and – amid record low voter turnout – won a majority mandate.

For many, the move was a cynical attempt at concentrating power in a time of turmoil. For others, it made the case for the full decision-making authority that comes with a majority government, which eluded the party in 2017.

Now, despite skyrocketing cases of COVID-19 in and around Metro Vancouver, Horgan maintains a high level of approval. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say they approve of his performance, five points lower than last quarter. His approval is tied for highest in the country despite the new wave of physical-distancing and social restrictions in B.C., something residents have shown a willingness to absorb into their lives over the past nine months.

Canada’s second wave of the coronavirus continues to challenge Canadians – and their premiers – from coast to coast. With infections on the rise, more deaths are recorded daily, restrictions continue to hamper the economy and families are making difficult choices over how they’ll spend the holidays.

Against this backdrop, the latest data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians generally continue to hold positive views of their respective premiers’ job performance. But the trend line also indicates the days of provincial leaders appearing incapable of doing wrong politically – as they did in the spring and summer – are long gone.