Trudeau’s Approval Rating Softens (40%, -3) as Views Towards Blockades Solidify

Toronto, ON, March 3, 2020 — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval rating has softened amid solidifying negative views towards the blockade of key transportation corridors in Canada, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global News.  

Hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en Nation in British Columbia oppose the construction of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline in British Columbia, despite the project being approved by the local band councils whose territory the pipeline passes through. Protests by Indigenous peoples and their supporters have blocked project construction in BC and have also spread to other regions of the country, including blocking main rail lines that move freight and passengers. While police have moved in to end some solidarity blockades, others continue amidst a tentative deal between the Wet’suwet’en nation, the Government of British Columbia and the Government of Canada.

Four in ten (40%) Canadians now approve (7% strongly/33% somewhat) of the performance of the Liberal government under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, down 3 points since last week and down 5 points since the election. Conversely, six in ten (60%) disapprove (30% strongly/31% somewhat) of the government’s performance, up 3 points since last week and 5 points since the election. Approval is highest in Eastern Canada including Ontario (43%), Quebec (42%) and Atlantic Canada (41%), and lower in Western Canada including BC (36%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (34%) and Alberta (32%).

Views towards the protests and the intervention of police are beginning to solidify, with little change since last week.

• Six in ten (62%) are unfavourable (36% very/26% somewhat) towards the protests, up 2 points since last week, while 24% are favourable (8% very/16% somewhat), a decrease of 3 points. One in seven (14%) is unsure, up 1 point. Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (69%) have the most unfavourable views, followed by those living in Alberta (67%), BC (67%), Quebec (62%), Atlantic Canada (61%) and Ontario (58%).
• Nearly two in three (63%) support (35% strongly/28% somewhat) intervention by police to end the blockade of key transportation corridors by Indigenous protestors, unchanged since last week. One quarter (24%) oppose (8% strongly/15% somewhat) the intervention by police to end blockades, down 2 points. Roughly one in eight (13%) is unsure, up 2 points. Support for intervention by police to end the blockades is strongest in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (76%), followed by Atlantic Canada (71%), Alberta (69%), BC (66%), Ontario (61%) and Quebec (57%).

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between February 28 and March 2, 2020, on behalf of on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1000 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed online. Quotas and weighting were employed to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Darrell Bricker, PhD
CEO, Ipsos Global Public Affairs
+1 416 324-2001
[email protected]

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