- The PCs and Liberals are neck in neck in terms of voter support
- Higgs, Melanson, and Coon are in tight race as most preferred as Premier
March 3, 2022
Satisfaction with the performance of the provincial government led by PC Premier Blaine Higgs has partially rebounded after a dramatic decline last quarter, according to the latest survey by Narrative Research. Close to one-half (47%) of New Brunswick residents are currently satisfied with the government’s overall performance, up from 31% in November, but still below the 57% in August 2021. Dissatisfaction is elevated among residents under 55 years of age and Francophones.
Voting intentions have also shifted. Currently, one-third (34%, compared with 28% in November 2021) would vote for the PCs if an election were held today, while virtually the same proportion (31%, down from 38%) would vote for the Liberals. Voter support remains stable for the Green Party (16%, compared with 14%) and the NDP (11%, compared with 13%). The People’s Alliance of New Brunswick has backing from five percent of decided voters (unchanged). Regional differences are evident, with the Liberals having stronger support in Northern NB and the PCs having stronger support in Southern NB.
In terms of preference for premier, two in ten prefer Higgs as premier (20%, compared with 19% in November 2021). Support for Melanson, interim leader of the Liberal Party, has declined (18% compared with 23%). Support remains stable for Coon of the Green Party (17%, compared with 16%) and Austin of the People’s Alliance of New Brunswick (10%, compared with 8%), while it has declined slightly for Thomason, interim leader of the NDP (5%, down from 8%). Regionally, Melanson is more preferred in Northern NB than other leaders. Support for Higgs is higher among older residents.
These results are part of Narrative Research’s Atlantic Quarterly®, an independent telephone survey of Atlantic Canadians, and are drawn from a sample of 545 adult New Brunswickers, conducted from February 9-27, 2022, with overall results accurate to within ± 4.2 percentage points, 95 out of 100 times.
Narrative Research www.narrativeresearch.ca, is non-partisan and is one of Canada’s leading public opinion and market research companies. Follow us on Twitter @EveryNarrative.
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Brigley, CEO & Partner: 902.493.3830 (W), mbrigley@narrativeresearch.ca
