51% of British Columbians (51%) approve of John Horgan’s performance
Photo by Jay Sharma of Mahi Photo Studio
THE governing New Democratic Party (NDP) is the top choice in British Columbia’s current political landscape, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 39% of decided voters in British Columbia would cast a ballot for the BC NDP candidate in their riding if a provincial election were held tomorrow.
The BC Liberals are in second place with 30%, followed by the BC Green Party with 21% and the BC Conservative Party with 9%.
The New Democrats are ahead among female voters (42%, with the BC Liberals and the BC Greens tied at 24%), as well as voters aged 18-to-34 and 35-to-54 (40% among each group).
Among male voters, the BC Liberals and the BC NDP are practically tied (37% and 36% respectively), while the New Democrats enjoy a six-point edge among voters aged 55 and over (38% to 32%).
The BC Greens are particularly popular with women (24%) and voters aged 18-to-34 (25%)
“The BC NDP and the BC Green Party are holding on to more than four-in-five of the voters who supported them in the 2017 provincial election,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “For the BC Liberals, the number is slightly lower at 76%.”
Just over half of British Columbians (51%) approve of the performance of Premier and BC NDP leader John Horgan, while 34% disapprove.
Green Party leader Andrew Weaver’s approval rating stands at 42%, while the numbers are lower for BC Liberals leader Andrew Wilkinson (34%) and BC Conservatives leader Trevor Bolin (20%).
More than two-in-five British Columbians (42%) believe “housing, homelessness and poverty” is the most important issue facing the province today—a proportion that climbs to 49% among residents aged 18-to-34, 47% among Metro Vancouverites and 45% among women.
“Health care” and “the economy and jobs” are tied at 11%, followed by “the environment” at 10%, “energy and pipelines” at 9%, and “crime and public safety” at 7%.
Concerns about “housing, homelessness and poverty” are decidedly higher among residents who voted for the BC NDP (46%) and the BC Greens (44%) in 2017 than among BC Liberal supporters (29%).
Conversely, “energy and pipelines” is the second most important issue for BC Liberal supporters (17%, compared to 8% among BC NDP voters and 5% among BC Green voters).
Results are based on an online study conducted from May 20 to May 22, 2019, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
