- Eight in ten are satisfied with provincial government’s performance, a record high
- The gap widens between PCs and Liberals in decided voter intentions
- Higgs remains most preferred as Premier showing a considerable increase in support
HALIFAX, May 27, 2020: Satisfaction with the performance of the provincial government led by Premier Blaine Higgs has increased significantly this past quarter by 33 points (81%, up from 48% in February 2020), according to the latest survey by Narrative Research. This constitutes the highest level of satisfaction with the performance of the government in New Brunswick ever recorded since tracking began.
Nearly one-half of decided New Brunswick voters indicate the PCs would receive their support if an election were held, a 9-point increase in support for the Conservatives (48%, up from 39% last quarter). While the Liberals’ percentage of decided voter support is consistent with last quarter (30%, compared with 28%), the gap between the PCs and the Liberal Party has widened from 11 percentage points to 18 percentage points.
Support for the Green Party sits at 15% (down from 20% in February). The New Democratic Party receives support from 5% (compared with 8%), and the People’s Alliance of New Brunswick holds 3%, (compared with 4% last quarter). Among all residents, three in ten do not know who they would vote for (29%), and three percent do not plan to vote.
In terms of preference for premier, Higgs has experienced a notable increase in support this quarter, with four-in-ten residents voicing preference for Higgs (41%, up from 26% in February 2020). Vickers is preferred as premier by 15% (down from 20% in February), while Coon receives 14% of voter preference (compared with 18% in February). Austin is preferred by 4% (compared with 3%), and a similar percentage would prefer Thomason as premier (2% compared with 5% in February 2020).
“This very strong level of support for Premier Higgs and his government is unprecedented in New Brunswick 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 has escalated during a time of crisis given the increased profile and regular public briefings. 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 800 adult New Brunswickers, conducted from May 1 to 20, 2020, with overall results accurate to within ± 3.5 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, mbrigley@narrativeresearch.ca
