Hard drop in Newfoundland

premier’s approval rating after

calling a pandemic election: Poll
Premium content
Devika Desai, Postmedia News (ddesai@postmedia.com)
Published: 5 hours ago
Updated: 4 hours ago

The 14th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Dr. Andrew Furey addresses the audience
following the swearing-in ceremony on the grounds of Government House in St. John's on
:
Wednesday, August 19, 2020.
You have 2 articles left
Support Summerside journalism for only $5/month for your
first year.
Already a member? Log in
A A SUBSCRIB

It turns out calling an election in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic may have
been the inadvertent nail in the political coffin for Newfoundland and Labrador
Premier Andrew Furey, according to a new poll.

The poll, conducted by market researcher Maru/Blu, surveyed 5,267 Canadians

between March 2 and 11 on their attitudes toward their premiers (with a national
margin of error of 1.4 per cent).

It found that Furey took the largest tumble in approval ratings — 23 percentage
points, after peaking at a rating of 63 per cent in December 2020.

John Wright, Maru/Blu vice president, attributed the drastic fall to Furey’s decision
to call an election in January in the middle of the pandemic, buoyed by his high
approval ratings in December.

But an unexpected surge in COVID-19 cases in the week leading up to the election
forced officials to delay and then cancel all in-person voting across the province.

ADVERTISEMENT

The election date had since been pushed to March 25 and was entirely conducted
via mail-in ballot. The results are to be announced on Saturday.

“It’s clear that there was a significant portion of the electorate who was really upset
over having the election during COVID-19,” Wright said. “And then the
:
complications that have taken place in the existing time frame to get the vote, it’s a
serious warning to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or anyone else who may wish to
pull the trigger and go to an election.”

Wright says it’s hard to predict how the election will turn out for Furey, who is now
has a 40 per cent approval rating, and his political opponent, Conservative Leader
“Ches” Crosbie.

“This is an example of where a politician decides, buoyed by his early nerve, that he
could get through this and treat it like any other campaign, but it has clearly caused
problems in him possibly holding on to the vote now,” Wright said.

According to the new poll, Furey ranks third last in popular support among premiers,
alongside Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who
holds an approval rating of 37 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe tops the list with an approval rating of
65 per cent, closely followed by the B.C. Premier John Horgan and Quebec Premier
Francois Legault at 64 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.

“For most of these premiers, the only opponent they really have is COVID-19,”
Wright said. “And the ability to get the vaccines and have it organized is really their
most pressing issue nowadays.”

Pandemic has boosted some premiers' approval ratings by 30 percentage

points, Legault benefitting most: poll
Randall Denley: Doug Ford's flawed COVID performance has become a ticket
to political popularity

Which means how each premier responds to the pandemic and the vaccine rollout
directly shapes their province’s opinion of them. Pallister for example, took a hit in
his ratings in December, after he ordered a COVID-19 lockdown. “And he hasn’t
necessarily recovered from that,” Wright said. “Neither has Jason Kenney who’s got
a lot more baggage than just COVID-19.”

Moe on the other hand has “done a good job in the categories that are necessary
nowadays” resulting in his high ratings, Wright said. Unlike several of its
counterparts, Saskatchewan has reported fewer than 200 new cases per day and is
in phase two of its immunization scheme, which is focused on vaccinating the
general population between ages 18 and 69.

“If you look at the other end of the country where Andrew Fury is, it’s clear that the
:
biggest threat to his premiership is COVID-19. (He) made decisions around it, he’s
paying a price for it,” Wright said.

Surprisingly enough, despite recording some of the highest provincial daily cases in
the country, Legault is one of the few premiers to consistently receive some of the
highest approval ratings, ranging between 56 and 76 per cent.

It comes down to the difference between the Quebecois culture and approach to
handling the pandemic and that of the rest of the country.

“(Legault) and (the rest of the province) have been from the outset, the first ones to
say, let’s open up the economy and get going. They’re very counterintuitive to the
rest of the country that has imposed longstanding lockdowns,” he said.

That’s not to say that the premier has remained immune to criticism. His ratings,
which peaked in June 2020, have taken a dip in recent months, primarily due to
issues with accelerating a vaccine rollout — “which is not necessarily his problem,
because it’s coming from the federal government,” Wright said.

However “(Legault’s) connection to people in Quebec is unprecedented,” Wright

said, one that reflects a mentality very different to that in any other province.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s approval rating has remained low at 48 per cent — five
percentage points lower than recorded in December. Blaine Higgs, premier of New
Brunswick, has inched up in his ratings by one percentage point, recording a 57 per
cent approval rating.

Newly installed Nova Scotia Premier Ian Rankin has also recorded a relatively low
rating of 41 per cent.

“Every part in the country has a different context. But they’re all dealing with a
common front and that is COVID-19,” Wright said. “And the decisions they make
around COVID impact their popularity significantly. And while they’ve all come down
from where they were on high heights, some have actually caused even greater
downfall by their own personal decisions.”

Furey could still win the election, according to Wright: “The trajectory for winning
this election is unfavourable but not unsalvageable.”

But winning would mean having to plan for tougher days ahead in Newfoundland
and Labrador.

“ Whoever wins the election must not only craft a recovery plan that lays out a new
:
foundation for the future but delivers a much needed elixir to all — hope,” Wright
said. “There are tough days ahead to reckon all that has occurred, but rising above
politics to create a collective resolve on how to move forward will be paramount.”

Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2021

Did this story inform or enhance your perspective on this

subject?
1 being least likely, and 10 being most likely
1

Submit feedback
: