Alberta NDP continues to lead UCP in voter support: Angus Reid poll
The Alberta NDP led by Rachel Notley continues to lead the ruling UCP led by Premier Jason Kenney in popularity among voters, according to polling data released Thursday by Angus Reid.
The poll suggests roughly two-in-five Albertans, or 42 per cent, would vote for the NDP compared to roughly three-in-10, or 31 per cent for the UCP.
The Wildrose Independence Party has 16 per cent support, followed by the Alberta Party at eight per cent and the Liberals at one per cent.
The NDP have led the UCP in terms of voter intention since March 2021, according to the Angus Reid poll done every three months, and the gap has remained somewhat steady since June 2021.
The next provincial election is scheduled for 2023.
"It's not so much to me a matter of when (the UCP) has to turn things around, it's how they can possibly do that?" said Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams.
A number of issues have hampered UCP efforts to increase support.
"Traditionally … for this kind of thing, you'd need to have a big misstep or scandal or problem for the NDP," said Williams. "The (UCP) are where they are because of scandals, mismanagement of the pandemic and so forth."
The most recent scandal involves former justice minister Kaycee Madu and the revelation he phoned Edmonton's police chief after receiving a distracted driving ticket while in a school zone last year.
Madu who is Black, has said he made the call because he wanted to make sure he wasn't being improperly surveilled or racially profiled.
Kenney has asked Madu to "step back" as justice minister while an independent investigation unfolds and Energy Minister Sonya Savage has taken over his ministerial duties in the interim.
"This is the third minister gone for cause in just over a year," said Williams, noting MLA Devin Dreeshen resigned as minister of forestry and agriculture in November 2021 following allegations of drinking at work and MLA Tracy Allard also resigned as minister of municipal affairs after it was revealed she flew to Hawaii during the 2020 Christmas break, despite public health recommendations against non-essential travel.
"There's a much bigger set of questions around trustworthiness, around integrity and around competence," she said.
"I said this at the beginning of 2021 when Jason Kenney was going to earn back trust, that's a hard thing to do and he's done nothing but generate further doubt about whether he can be trusted, both to be honest or to be a person of integrity and be accountable. He just keep stepping in it, he just keep mismanaging."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.