THE year ends with some big bounces in approval for a couple of post-election premiers, and the continuation of a troubling trend for Quebec’s François Legault.

The latest quarterly data on Canadians’ assessments of their province’s premiers from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Manitoba Wab Kinew as the most positively appraised premier for the fifth quarter in a row. Two-thirds (67%) in Manitoba approve of Kinew’s performance as premier.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, who navigated what has been choppy political waters for incumbents in elections around the world, emerges from that province’s November election with a strengthened majority and approval of 55 per cent of his constituents, a 14-point bump from pre-election assessments. Houston and the PCs mix of campaign policies to address affordability in the province – including tax cuts – have proven to be not only successful election material but also perhaps increased Houston’s personal favourability.

In Saskatchewan, Premier Scott Moe survived the election with a narrower majority but does see his own personal approval rise as he begins a new term. A slight majority (52%) in Saskatchewan approve of Moe.

B.C. Premier David Eby also faced a challenge in that province’s election – capturing just enough seats to win a majority government – but did not see his own approval change. Approval of Eby has been between 43 and 48 per cent since he became premier.

With the departure of New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs after his election loss to new Premier Susan Holt (54% approval), Ontario’s Doug Ford (34%) and Quebec’s (36%) François Legault find themselves at the bottom of the list with approval of one-third in their respective provinces.