Recent data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute indicates that Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe enjoys strong approval ratings among province residents. However, both the Premier and his party have seen their support drop.
Moe is one of two leaders in the country to surpass the majority mark this quarter, with a 53% approval rating.
However, despite Moe’s personal popularity, both the Premier and his party have witnessed a decline in support. Moe’s approval rating has dropped by seven per cent from last year, and as Saskatchewanians prepare to head to the polls this October, the Saskatchewan Party finds itself less popular than it has been in four years.
The institute’s findings indicate that the Saskatchewan Party holds a still formidable 50 per cent of the vote share, marking the lowest level of support the party has received in four years. In contrast, the Saskatchewan NDP garners 38 per cent of the province’s support in the upcoming election.
This comes as the Sask. Party faces a competitive situation in the province’s two largest urban spaces, Regina and Saskatoon, but dominates regions outside those two cities to hold a 12-point advantage provincially.
Despite comfortably winning a majority government in 2020, Moe and his government face criticism on several key issues.
Three in five (62%) respondents express dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the cost-of-living file. A similar, slightly worse ratio is found when assessing the government on health care (65% poor job).
Another top issue for which the government faces criticism is education. Here, 62 per cent say the Saskatchewan Party is performing poorly. As ongoing strike action among the Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation continues, this appears to be the NDP’s strongest issue. Asked which party is better suited for education, 41 per cent chose the NDP, and 38 per cent chose the current government.
However, the Saskatchewan Party maintains an advantage on other top issues, including the cost of living, health care, and the economy.
The mood of the province appears at odds with the prevailing vote intention narrative, with half of residents expressing a desire for a change in government. This sentiment extends even to seven percent of those who supported the Saskatchewan Party in 2020.
While it looks like the Saskatchewan Party is poised for electoral success, one-in-two residents are concerned about the direction of the province.
