New poll says Scott Moe tied as most-popular premier in country

Results of a new poll from the Angus Reid Institute say Scott Moe continues to be one of the most popular premiers in the country.

The results, released Tuesday, say 58 per cent of people in the province support Moe. 

Only Quebec premier Francois Legault commanded the same level of support.

Political Science Professor Joe Garcea said the poll couldn't have come at a better time for the premier, with an election on the horizon.

"It's an easy win to be able to put up an ad that says, 'Vote for one of the most popular premiers in the in the country,'" said Garcea, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan.

The results mirror an earlier Angus Reid poll from December, which also showed Moe at 58 per cent.

In nearby Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney saw his approval ratings dip by seven points since December. He's currently at 47 per cent.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister saw his support drop by four points to 43 per cent.

Scaachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute, said Moe has been one of the most consistently approved-of premiers in the country. 

Moe's lowest Angus Reid polling numbers, gathered shortly after he became premier in 2018, placed him at 52 per cent. They've gone up from there.

"It is pretty remarkable to see a politician's approval actually track up over time," said Kurl.

"Usually, it starts at a high watermark just after the election and then starts a period of decline."

Garcea said part of Moe's popularity stems from his hard-line stance on issues like the federal carbon tax.

"Taking on Ottawa quite often is beneficial for a provincial politician," said Garcea. 

"That probably offsets the number of people that otherwise would have voted as having a less favourable impression of the premier than they do now."

Angus Reid conducted the survey online from February 24 to 28, 2020, using a representative randomized sample of 5,042 people across Canada who are members of Angus Reid Forum. 

For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by the institute.