A recent poll finds historically unpopular leadership at the federal level, perhaps owing to the frustration and division caused by polarized politics.The Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians have never been as critical of all three of the major federal party leaders at the same time. Conservative and Conservative Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre is most “popular” with a -12% net rating (favourability minus unfavourability) while NDP leader Jagmeet Singh scores his worst ever rating at -14%. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval has dropped to its lowest point at just 28%, with a net approval of -38%.It appears that the NDP’s supply and confidence agreement with the deeply unpopular Liberal government has increased Singh’s profile and influence enough that he, too, is now garnering considerable criticism. Singh breaks even among women (43% favourable, 43% unfavourable) but is a -30% among men (detailed tables here). While continuing to uphold the minority government, this marks the first time that Singh has been lower than Poilievre.Poilievre has taken an aggressive line against the government and scores negatively among both men (-3) and women (-19). Poilievre began his term as opposition leader with an unfavourable mark double that of Stephen Harper and has had difficulty overcoming it.Trudeau scores his lowest rating in his run as Liberal leader in April, with just 28% approving of his performance..An archive of Canadian public opinion research (surveys) called Odesi goes back to the 1940’s, and is operated by the Ontario Council of University Libraries. It includes a poll from 1974. At this point, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and his Liberals had been in government for six years, and he retained a relatively strong approval rating of 48%, with a disapproval of 34%.Trudeau was joined by opposition leader of the Progressive Conservative Party Robert Stanfield, whose approval settled four points lower at 44%, and NDP leader David Lewis, who was approved of by two-in-five. Each of these men garnered more favourability than unfavourability, allowing a positive net rating in the teens.By 1976, as inflation roared, Trudeau had a net negative rating of 25%. It wasn't until April 1979 his net rating returned to a positive number (2%), still less than the 9% for Opposition Progressive Conservative Leader Joe Clark and the 21% for Ed Broadbent. By 1982, Trudeau was down to -34%, with Clark at 1% and Broadbent at 17%.In 1985, PC Prime Minister Brian Mulroney had a 33% net positive rating, trailing Broadbent's 37%, but well ahead of the -3% for Opposition Liberal leader John Turner. By 1987, Broadbent kept a 40% net positive rating, but Turner had dropped to -6% and Mulroney to -24%.February 1992 saw mass public cynicism. NDP Leader Audrey McLaughlin had a 5% rating, followed by -6% for Reform Party Leader Preston Manning, -17% for Bloc Quebecois Leader Lucien Bouchard, -20% for Liberal Leader Jean Chretien, and Mulroney's at -71%.For most of the latter half of the 1990s, Chretien, NDP Leader Alexa McDonough PC leader Jean Charest had net positive ratings, but Manning and a series of Bloc leaders were always net negatives.In May 2001, Canadian Alliance Reform Party Leader Stockwell Day had a net negative rating of -63%, while Clark (36%), Chretien (9%), and McDonough (16%) were in the positive range.Conservative Party Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a 34% net positive rating in February 2006 that slipped to single digits by February 2008 (4%). By then, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion had a -32% rating. By September 2010, Harper began a long streak in negative territory that he never emerged from, the lowest being -62% in October of 2013. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff flipped from 24% in September 2010 to an abysmal -37 just four months later.Justin Trudeau had net positives in his early years in power, starting at 29% in January 2016, and dropping to 11% in January 2010. By January 2019 he had a -31% rating. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had a -2% net rating and Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer had a -4%.
A recent poll finds historically unpopular leadership at the federal level, perhaps owing to the frustration and division caused by polarized politics.The Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians have never been as critical of all three of the major federal party leaders at the same time. Conservative and Conservative Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre is most “popular” with a -12% net rating (favourability minus unfavourability) while NDP leader Jagmeet Singh scores his worst ever rating at -14%. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval has dropped to its lowest point at just 28%, with a net approval of -38%.It appears that the NDP’s supply and confidence agreement with the deeply unpopular Liberal government has increased Singh’s profile and influence enough that he, too, is now garnering considerable criticism. Singh breaks even among women (43% favourable, 43% unfavourable) but is a -30% among men (detailed tables here). While continuing to uphold the minority government, this marks the first time that Singh has been lower than Poilievre.Poilievre has taken an aggressive line against the government and scores negatively among both men (-3) and women (-19). Poilievre began his term as opposition leader with an unfavourable mark double that of Stephen Harper and has had difficulty overcoming it.Trudeau scores his lowest rating in his run as Liberal leader in April, with just 28% approving of his performance..An archive of Canadian public opinion research (surveys) called Odesi goes back to the 1940’s, and is operated by the Ontario Council of University Libraries. It includes a poll from 1974. At this point, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and his Liberals had been in government for six years, and he retained a relatively strong approval rating of 48%, with a disapproval of 34%.Trudeau was joined by opposition leader of the Progressive Conservative Party Robert Stanfield, whose approval settled four points lower at 44%, and NDP leader David Lewis, who was approved of by two-in-five. Each of these men garnered more favourability than unfavourability, allowing a positive net rating in the teens.By 1976, as inflation roared, Trudeau had a net negative rating of 25%. It wasn't until April 1979 his net rating returned to a positive number (2%), still less than the 9% for Opposition Progressive Conservative Leader Joe Clark and the 21% for Ed Broadbent. By 1982, Trudeau was down to -34%, with Clark at 1% and Broadbent at 17%.In 1985, PC Prime Minister Brian Mulroney had a 33% net positive rating, trailing Broadbent's 37%, but well ahead of the -3% for Opposition Liberal leader John Turner. By 1987, Broadbent kept a 40% net positive rating, but Turner had dropped to -6% and Mulroney to -24%.February 1992 saw mass public cynicism. NDP Leader Audrey McLaughlin had a 5% rating, followed by -6% for Reform Party Leader Preston Manning, -17% for Bloc Quebecois Leader Lucien Bouchard, -20% for Liberal Leader Jean Chretien, and Mulroney's at -71%.For most of the latter half of the 1990s, Chretien, NDP Leader Alexa McDonough PC leader Jean Charest had net positive ratings, but Manning and a series of Bloc leaders were always net negatives.In May 2001, Canadian Alliance Reform Party Leader Stockwell Day had a net negative rating of -63%, while Clark (36%), Chretien (9%), and McDonough (16%) were in the positive range.Conservative Party Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a 34% net positive rating in February 2006 that slipped to single digits by February 2008 (4%). By then, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion had a -32% rating. By September 2010, Harper began a long streak in negative territory that he never emerged from, the lowest being -62% in October of 2013. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff flipped from 24% in September 2010 to an abysmal -37 just four months later.Justin Trudeau had net positives in his early years in power, starting at 29% in January 2016, and dropping to 11% in January 2010. By January 2019 he had a -31% rating. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had a -2% net rating and Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer had a -4%.
