A new poll by VisionCritical/Angus Reid shows Kathy Dunderdale with the second highest approval rating of premiers across Canada. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall topped the list at 63% approval, with 16% undecided
But look at the numbers in the wider context and you can see why the provincial government’s pollster was in the news this week lowering public expectations for his client. Don Mills told the Telegram that: “[Premier Kathy Dunderdale’s popularity is] not going to be 75 per cent, I wouldn’t think.”
Mills’ polling firm was cluing up the quarterly survey when he made the comments. The VisionCritical/Angus Reid numbers give an indication of the numbers Mills was likely picking up.
Dunderdale’s got the highest reported undecided – 35% – of any Premier in the country. Dunderdale is slightly ahead of New Brunswick Conservative at 33% undecided. His approval rating is also the third highest at 42%.
Dunderdale is also a long way from Danny Williams’ approval numbers. In November 2010 he was at 67% and in February 2010 he had the approval of 80% of those surveyed. Fully 78% approved of Williams and only 12% were unsure in November 2009.
That was an enormous drop for Williams and the trend is still downward for his hand-picked successor.
What’s more, VisionCritical/Angus Reid’s question is not a choice of one leader compared to others: it merely measures people’s opinion about the premier himself or herself from people within their respective provinces. Mills’ polls ask respondents to chose the political party leader they would prefer to see as Premier.
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