Legault hits record low, Eby weakens as premiers’ approvals slide: poll
Once among the most popular provincial leaders in the country, Quebec Premier François Legault is now the most unpopular by a wide margin, according to new polling.
Once among the most popular provincial leaders in the country, Quebec Premier François Legault is now the most unpopular by a wide margin, according to new polling.
Just 22 per cent of Quebecers say they approve of Legault’s performance, while 72 per cent disapprove, according to the survey released by the Angus Reid Institute on Tuesday.
The rating is his lowest since first taking office in 2018, marking a stunning reversal for a leader who won back-to-back majority governments in 2018 and 2022.
The decline comes as Legault faces criticism over a $500-million overspend tied to the SAAQclic digital system, the province's automobile insurance board’s digital transition project.
A public inquiry has put his handling of the issue under the spotlight, with Legault acknowledging he was unaware of the ballooning costs.
With 13 months before the next provincial election, the governing Coalition Avenir Québec party is facing the possibility of a disastrous defeat, with recent polls showing the party Legault governs likely to lose all seats.
On the West Coast, British Columbia Premier David Eby is also dealing with sinking approval numbers.
Eby has now seen his support fall for the second consecutive quarter, with 41 per cent backing his leadership, down five points since June and 12 points since March. This is the lowest approval rating of his tenure.
His government is grappling with a strike by the BC General Employees’ Union, growing deficits, and fallout from court rulings on Indigenous land rights.
Unlike Legault, however, Eby and the governing BC NDP were re-elected less than a year ago.
The latest Angus Reid survey highlights diverging fortunes elsewhere in the country.
Manitoba’s Wab Kinew remains the most popular premier at 61 per cent, despite a seven-point drop.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s John Hogan has seen his approval rise sharply.
Sworn in as Premier in May, Hogan now holds 51 per cent approval, a 12-point increase as he heads into his first election campaign this October.