B.C. NDP lead over Conservatives shrinks as more voters say province is on the wrong track: Poll
New poll finds growing dissatisfaction with housing, health care and public safety even as NDP maintains a six-point edge over Conservatives
By Cheryl Chan
Last updated 12 hours ago
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The B.C. NDP’s lead over the Conservative party has shrunk in the past three months, as a growing number of British Columbians say they disapprove of how the government is handling housing, health care, public safety and other issues, according to a new poll.
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A Leger poll to be released Monday found 44 per cent of respondents said they would vote for the NDP, while 38 per cent who said they’d go with the Conservatives.
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That six-point gap is down four points from the lead the NDP enjoyed in October — a peak that coincided with the height of former Conservative leader John Rustad’s unpopularity and one that likely won’t be repeated again, said Steve Mossop, Leger’s executive vice-president for Western Canada
“We got mounting pressure on the economy, with Trump and tariffs, and we got increasing deficits in B.C., and there seems to be a lot of voter dissatisfaction over how the NDP has been handling things.”
The poll, which was conducted online from Jan. 23 to 26 among 1,003 B.C. residents, found more than half, or 54 per cent, believes the province is on the wrong track, a figure Mossop said indicates a strong desire for change. Thirty-seven per cent believes B.C. is on the right track, while nine per cent did not know or refused to say.
In addition, the government’s disapproval ratings are up on a number of issues, including housing, health care and the opioid crisis, as well as the economy, provincial-municipal relations, and reconciliation with First Nations, said poll results.
There isn’t much the NDP can hang its hat on in terms of momentum, said Mossop. With disapproval ratings up, a growing sentiment the province is on the wrong path, combined with a drop in overall voter intention and a potential new leader on the horizon for the Opposition party, “all those things combined add up to a ‘watch out, NDP, you’re in a vulnerable position,’” he said.
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Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley, said the findings do not necessarily indicate the NDP is in hot water.
“It’s a very difficult time to be governing anywhere,” he said. If an election were to be called tomorrow, the NDP would still win a majority government. “Under the circumstances, they’re holding up.”
Asked what the Conservatives can do to exploit any weakness in the NDP, Telford suggested the Conservatives focus on themselves first. “In a sense, because it’s a difficult time to be governing, I think they just have to let the NDP flounder, and while that’s happening, to get their own house in order.”
The poll also ranked how familiar the public is with candidates for the Conservative party leadership.
Darrell Jones, a former president of the Pattison Food Group best known for his “Darrell’s deals” ads for Save-on Foods, topped the list, with 19 per cent of respondents saying they were familiar with him.
Former federal MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay was second at 13 per cent, while Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar and political commentator Caroline Elliott tied at 12 per cent.
For comparison purposes, a probability sample of 1,003 respondents has a margin of error of +/-3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
