Honeymoon for Higgs, Tories Lead Grows

MQO Research spoke with 600 residents of New Brunswick to gauge the political temperature in the province for the Winter edition of our quarterly political poll: Atlantic Matters.

Provincial Politics

According to the latest polling numbers, the PCs extended their lead in New Brunswick while the Green Party lost the gains experienced last quarter. Among decided and leaning voters:

  • PC Party support jumped 10 percentage points to 46%.
  • Current Liberal support trended up 3 percentage points to 32%.
  • Support for the Green Party fell 10 percentage points to 11%.
  • Support for the People’s Alliance trended down 3 percentage points to 8%.
  • NDP support held steady at 3%.

The undecided / no vote group jumped 7 percentage points to 44%.

“After a tough election and a period of uncertainty, the Higgs government has solidified a comfortable lead in New Brunswick,” said Stephen Moore, Vice-President at MQO. “Voters who previously supported the People’s Alliance and the Greens look willing to give the new government a chance.”

Government Performance

The rating for the leadership of Premier Blaine Higgs was 5.8 this quarter (on a 10-point scale).

“Premier Higgs has the highest approval ratings in Atlantic Canada this quarter,” said Moore.

Provincial Outlook

The provincial outlook for New Brunswick improved in February.

27% of New Brunswick residents reported their outlook had worsened over the past three months (down from 35% in October), while 51% indicated their outlook had stayed the same (relatively unchanged) and 16% felt things had gotten better (up significantly from 9%).

The Atlantic Matters poll was conducted by telephone from January 30th to February 10th, 2019 and included 600 randomly selected eligible voters from across the province. The margin of error for the total sample is ± 4.0 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

About MQO Research

MQO Research is one of Atlantic Canada’s leading market research firms, providing research insights to clients throughout the region and beyond. Our team includes experts in quantitative and qualitative methodologies and program evaluation. As a member of the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC), MQO subscribes to the highest standards of information gathering and research ethics in the industry.

For more information on Atlantic Matters or MQO Research, contact:

Stephen Moore – Vice-President
[email protected]
Cell: 902-210-5379

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