It’s been one year since the historic 2017 British Columbia election in which the province was thrust into months of political uncertainty. This concluded when BC New Democratic Party leader, John Horgan, and BC Green party leader, Andrew Weaver, announced that the Greens would provide confidence to a rare minority government for the NDP.
According to a new poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute released on May 9, British Columbians have mixed feelings regarding the NDP government’s first year in power.
Two out of five, or 42 per cent, of British Columbians believe that the province is on the ‘wrong track’, while only 29 per cent believe that is on the right one. 28 per cent reported that they were still unsure about the direction of the province.
Despite this, Horgan remains the most approved-of party leader in a divided political landscape, holding a 47 per cent approval rating among B.C. residents, while opposition Liberal leader, Andrew Wilkinson, holds a 26 per cent approval rating. The Green party’s Weaver has 34 per cent, according to the poll.
Per the poll, British Columbians have shown a clear support of some pivotal policy changes on the affordability file that were introduced by Horgan. Nonetheless, residents have shown to be incredibly uneasy about how Horgan’s party has handled disputes regarding the Kinder Morgan pipeline project with Alberta and the federal governments involved.
These findings certainly reflect a province that is just as divided as it was 12 months ago, as approximately an equal number of residents have stated that the current government has helped them or hurt them personally.
Further information included in the poll states that some of the major factors concerning opinion on government performance include age, political partisanship and regional differences. The poll states that younger British Columbians typically hold more favourable views towards the NDP’s first year performance, while an older demographic was generally more unfavourable.
The poll also mentions that the BC NDP hold a vote intention advantage in the City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. The BC Liberals hold a distinct advantage in the rest of B.C.
For further information included in the poll, please visit www.angusreid.org/bc-ndp-one-year.
