Support for Quebec’s premier slipped to 66 per cent during the Omicron wave, a new poll suggests.
The poll, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Global News, revealed how Canadians across the country felt about their respective premiers and provincial policies.
People who responded to this poll didn’t reach a consensus about whether recent actions to stem the tide of the variant has been “too much” or “too little,” and generally gave their provincial leaders middling approval ratings, along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Coincidentally, although Quebec Premier Francois Legault held the highest rating (66 per cent), it is down by nine points since last month — the largest drop among the approval rating of all provincial premiers.
“He is no longer getting a free ride,” said Sean Simpson, senior vice-president at Ipsos.
The recent restrictions imposed in Quebec, aren’t sitting very well, he added.
Canadians from Alberta (51 per cent) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (52 percent) felt their province’s response has been “too little.” In contrast, people from Quebec (46 per cent) seem to agree that there have been “too much” restrictions during the Omicron pandemic.
Simpson said in an interview that in general, Canadians are losing patience, both with political leaders and the pandemic.
The poll also indicates this phenomenon that Canadians are less tolerant of lockdown policy. Compared to the data from last July, the proportion who support lockdowns is down 17 points and now sits at 52 per cent. In Quebec, people who don’t take sides in the lockdown policy rose to 54 per cent, which is the highest among the provinces.
Suggestions for the Quebec government’s subsequent policy improvements were also reflected in the poll.
Most people (88 percent) supposed the Quebec government needs to make immediate improvements in the health-care system to increase capacity, re-start elective treatments, and alleviate pandemic-related delays.
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between Jan. 14 and 17, 2022, with a sample of 1,001 Canadians aged 18+ interviewed online. The poll considered is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.