FREDERICTON — New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs has started his campaign for re-election with the lowest approval rating of any premier in the country, according to a new survey.
The latest quarterly Angus Reid Institute survey released Thursday suggested Higgs, who is seeking a third term, had an approval rating of 30 per cent, just below Ontario Premier Doug Ford at 31 per cent.
Higgs has shrugged off the survey results, saying "polls are what they are."
Also bringing up the rear in the survey are Quebec Premier François Legault at 39 per cent, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston at 41 per cent and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe at 45 per cent. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew topped the list with a 66 per cent approval rating.
A provincial election will be held Oct. 19 in British Columbia and another vote will be held on or before Oct. 28 in Saskatchewan. New Brunswickers go to the polls on Oct. 21.
"In New Brunswick … Blaine Higgs faces by far the worst public opinion landscape of the three leaders seeking a new term," the independent, non-profit Angus Reid Institute said in a statement.
"The race between the Opposition Liberals and governing Conservatives appears competitive, with the provincial Green Party also generating significant double-digit support."
The online survey, conducted from Sept. 12. to Sept. 18, was based on responses from a randomized sample of 3,985 Canadian adults. The margin of error for the New Brunswick sample was plus or minus six per cent.
According to 338Canada, a website that aggregates polling results, the Tories and the Liberals, lead by Susan Holt, appear to be in a statistical dead heat in the latest seat projections. That suggests a minority government is likely if the numbers hold.
The data, however, also suggests the Liberals lead the popular vote, but 338Canada says the Tories have the greatest odds of winning the most seats.
In virtually every measure, the Green Party, lead by David Coon, was a distant third, followed by the New Democrats and the People's Alliance of New Brunswick.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.
The Canadian Press
