Healthcare in Alberta

A survey of 800 Albertans in late August determined that 54% of the population mentioned health care as one of the most important issues facing the province, more than double any other issue. The same survey also asked Albertans to evaluate the government's performance on key provincial issues. On the pivotal health care issue, the Klein government gets failing marks, with only 29% stating that they believe the government has done a good job in maintaining or improving the quality of health care in Alberta.

In fact, 67% of Albertans said the government has done a very poor job (39%) or somewhat poor job (28%) this performance on the most important public policy issue facing the province falls well short of the expectations which Albertans had for the Alberta government, when interviewed in June 1993. At that time, 64% of Albertans believed that the government would do a very good or somewhat good job in improving or maintaining the health care system. Despite this huge gap between expectations and the performance evaluated, the government's failing marks on health care have not yet effected their large degree of support (see Table 1).

One of the primary reasons for the continuing level of support for the Klein Government (at approximately 2 out of 3 Albertans) may relate to the fact be that the government has exceeded expectations in terms of reducing the provincial deficit (see Table 2). In June 1993, 12% of Albertans expected that the government would do a very good job in reducing the provincial deficit, and a further 45% felt that the government would do a somewhat good job. As of August 1995, almost half of Albertans rate the Klein government as having done a very good (45%), and a further one-third say they have done a somewhat good job (34%) in reducing the provincial deficit.

As Bruce Cameron, Senior Vice President, noted: "The government's single minded concentration on reducing the provincial deficit, which was at the top of the public's agenda when the Klein government was first elected, has positively boosted government support. Now, however, deficit concerns are waning, and are being superseded by the importance of health care."

Another area which was highly touted by the Klein government in the run up to the 1993 election was their concentration on promoting new job opportunities in Alberta. Despite the fact that 54% of Albertans expected the government to do a good job in this area, only 38% in August 1995 believe that the government has done a good job in promoting new job opportunities. In fact, one in five Albertans (21%) now believes that the government has done a very poor job in this area, compared to only 8% who expected the government to do a very poor job in June 1993.

There is considerable opposition to the Alberta Government's reductions in spending on health care and education, with 59% opposing reductions in health care spending and 57% opposing reductions in education spending. Bruce Cameron noted that: "There is a widespread perception that the government has exceeded expectations in terms of reducing the deficit, and therefore should concentrate more of its budgetary priorities on key areas which concern the public such as health care." On the other hand, a large majority of Albertans support reductions in spending on welfare and social services (35% strongly and 35% moderately), and a majority support spending cutbacks for municipalities and cities (65% support).

Among Albertans who were opposed to funding reductions for specific areas such as health care, education, welfare/social services, and municipalities and cities, they were asked which measure they would support to make up the shortfall: increasing taxes, finding money from other programs, or raising the deficit. Among those opposed to funding reductions in all areas, the most common response is that they would prefer to have the government find the money from other programs (61% to 68%) rather than increasing taxes (only one in four people who opposed funding reductions in health care and education would support increases in taxes in order to make up the short fall). Even fewer Albertans (between 5% to 8%) would opt for raising the deficit as an alternative to funding reductions. (see Table 3) This finding may indicate why the Klein Government has been so successful in retaining political support for its general program, while weathering opposition to some key spending reductions in areas like health care and education.

"Albertans in a sense are convinced that the government has made progress on the deficit, but they would like to see some of the money being saved in budget reductions from departments other than health care and education put towards limiting or eliminating the spending reductions in those areas" said Bruce Cameron.

Close to half of Albertans state that they have sensed no real personal impact of the Klein government's policies with respect to their own financial situation, access to quality education, and access to quality health care. Although the proportion of Albertans who have felt no real impact of cutbacks in health care remains the same as it was earlier in the year (47% in March 1995, and 48% in August 1995), the proportion of people who believe that they have been negatively affected has increased from 32% only five months to 41% in August 1995 (see Table 4).

Bruce Cameron pointed out that: "At the rate negative perceptions about the impact of health care cutbacks are growing, and given the importance of the health care issue as the dominant item on the public agenda, the Klein government can no longer afford to continue fighting the deficit through further reductions in health care costs."

One of the most disturbing findings of the poll concerns Albertans' evaluation of the state of their health care system. There has been a dramatic decline in the perceived quality of health care in the province from January 1993 (when 65% of Albertans classified the system as excellent or very good) to August 1995 when only one in four (27%) classified the system in that category of excellent or very good. In fact, the proportion of people who believe the quality of the health care system was only fair or poor has risen from 8% in January 1993 to 38% in August 1995 (see Table 5).

Bruce Cameron commented that: "The dramatic drop in confidence in the health care system in Alberta since the Klein Government took office could become a huge political liability if any palatable opposition alternatives present themselves on the Alberta political scene. This disturbing trend of weakening confidence in the health care system, if allowed to continue, could challenge the ability of the Klein government to sustain its current high levels of popular support."

An Alberta-wide survey was conducted with a random and representative sampling of 811 adults between August 24 and 28, 1995.

Results of the total Alberta sample of 811 respondents are accurate within 1773.5%. In other words, the results of this poll would not be more than 3.5% above or below the result of a total population survey, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error is higher for sub-samples.

This public opinion survey was conducted by the Alberta Division of the Angus Reid Group on behalf of the Calgary Herald.

TABLE 1: EVALUATION OF GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE ON KEY PROVINCIAL ISSUES

(June 1993 vs. August 1995)

1993 -- "How do you think Ralph Klein's PC led government will do in terms of...?"
1995 -- "Do you think the Alberta Government has done a good or poor job since being elected in...?"

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TABLE 2: SUPPORT/OPPOSITION TO REDUCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING

(August 1995)

"Do you support or oppose the reductions in spending by the Alberta Government which have already taken place in the areas of...?"

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TABLE 3: PREFERRED METHODS FOR INCREASING FUNDING SHORTFALLS

(August 1995)

"Since you oppose the funding reductions to..., would you like to see funding raised or maintained for...by increasing your taxes, finding the money from other programs, or raising the deficit?"

(Back To Text)

TABLE 4: EVALUATION OF IMPACT OF THE KLEIN GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES ON ALBERTANS

(March 1995 - August 1995)

"Thinking now about the impact on you and your family, in your opinion, would you say the Klein Conservative government's policies have had a positive impact, a negative impact, or no real impact on the following...?"

(Back To Text)

EVALUATION OF ALBERTA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

(January 1993 vs.. August 1995)

"Thinking broadly about Alberta's health care system and the quality of medical services it provides, how would you describe it overall?"

(Back To Text)

For further information, contact:

Darrel Bricker
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(613) 241-5802

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900