New tracking from an INNOVATIVE online poll of 2,390 Canadians shows approval of both the federal government’s handling of the pandemic and the provinces’ handling of the pandemic have hit a record low.
Now, only 44% say they approve of the job the federal government is doing handling the pandemic – down from 47% in March. Similarly, in Ontario only 33% say they approve of the job the provincial government is doing which is down from 41% in March and from a high of 75% in July. Approval is also down in BC (from 65% to 59%), Quebec (from 63% to 60%), and Alberta (from 35% to 33%). So what’s going on in Ontario?
Despite rallies to the contrary. most Canadians are not concerned about restrictions. If anything Canadians are more likely to think restriction do not go far enough. More than 6-in-10 (63%) want governments to set firm rules and enforce them through check points and fines. Just 30% say government should give direction and leave it to individuals.
Looking specifically at Ontario, support for the recent lockdown is high – nearly 7-in-10 (69%) support the provincial governments lockdown including 43% who strongly support it. This is consistent across party lines where a majority of each party’s base supports the stay-at home order.
The bigger issue is government leadership. Across Canada, a slim plurality (49%) believe that the changes governments are making to health restrictions reflect the evolving nature of the pandemic, while 42% believe the changes show that government don’t have a plan and are just making things up as they go along. However, in Ontario the numbers flip. Over half (54%) say governments don’t have a plan to deal with the virus.
For more detail on Canadians views of their governments, check our full report here.
