Increase in both satisfaction levels with government and preference for King as Premier
HALIFAX, May 25, 2020: Satisfaction with the performance of the provincial government led by Premier Dennis King has jumped upwards once again, according to the latest survey by Narrative Research, with satisfaction reaching an all-time high. Nine in ten Islanders express satisfaction with the provincial government (92%, up from 81% in February 2020).
Decided voter support for the PCs continues to improve and is now at 54% (compared with 45% in February and 38% in November 2019). At the same time, support for the Green Party is at 22%, (compared with 28% in February), while Islander support for the Liberal Party holds relatively stable (22%, compared with 21% in February). NDP support returns to levels obtained in August 2019 (1%, compared with 6% in February and November 2019).
Twenty percent of PEI voters are undecided, 6% refuse to state which party they support, and 2% do not plan to vote in the next provincial election or do not support any of these parties.
In terms of leadership preference, one-half of Islanders voice preference for Dennis King, representing a significant increase in support over the last survey period (53%, up from 38% in February). A decreased proportion of Islanders indicate a preference for Peter Bevan-Baker (21%, down from 31% in February). Meanwhile, interim leader Sonny Gallant is the choice of 9% (compared with 11% in February), and 3% prefer Joe Byrne (compared with 6% in February). Thirteen percent of Islanders do not have a leadership preference, and 1% say they prefer none of the main party leaders.
“This strong level of support for Premier King and his government is unprecedented in PEI and reflects the high level of confidence the public has expressed with his leadership throughout the pandemic,” said Margaret Brigley, CEO of Narrative Research. “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 PC Party.
These results are part of Narrative Research’s Atlantic Quarterly®, an independent telephone survey of Atlantic Canadians, and are based on a sample of 300 adult Prince Edward Islanders, conducted from April 29-May 17, 2020, with overall results accurate to within ± 5.7 percentage points, 95 out of 100 times.
Narrative Research www.narrativeresearch.ca, is one of Canada’s leading public opinion and market research companies. Founded in 1978 as Corporate Research Associates, Narrative Research is dedicated to providing clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services. Follow us on Twitter @EveryNarrative.
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For more information, please contact:
Margaret Brigley, CEO, Narrative Research at 902.222.7066 (M)
