Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister are at the bottom of the barrel in support as the provinces battle against COVID-19, a new poll shows..The Angus Reid poll shows Kenney at 40 per cent approval from people within his province while Pallister is at 32 per cent.. ar1 .B.C. Premier John Horgan and Quebec’s Francois Legault are tied at 64 per cent at the top of the poll..“British Columbia Premier John Horgan and his New Democrats gambled with an early election call in October and – amid record low voter turnout – won a majority mandate,” said Angus Reid in a release Tuesday..“For many, the move was a cynical attempt at concentrating power in a time of turmoil. For others, it made the case for the full decision-making authority that comes with a majority government, which eluded the party in 2017.. ar2 .“Now, despite skyrocketing cases of COVID-19 in and around Metro Vancouver, Horgan maintains a high level of approval. Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) say they approve of his performance, five points lower than last quarter. His approval is tied for highest in the country despite the new wave of physical-distancing and social restrictions in B.C., something residents have shown a willingness to absorb into their lives over the past nine months.”.Alberta is the only province in Canada without a total indoor mask mandate and Premier Jason Kenney continues to resist such a policy, suggesting it would create a backlash from residents, pollsters said..A majority of Albertans are under a mandatory mask mandate, but significant numbers of municipalities outside of the two largest cities are not.. POLL: Many Albertans say they will ignore Christmas COVID lockdown .“Most of the province is under such a mandate due to municipal rules, but Kenney’s actions appear to be generating criticism from some Albertans..“Last week the Premier cast a light on the South Asians in the province, saying that new cases within that community were a “wakeup call” for the group to reduce social contacts. Opposition politicians condemned the premier for singling out that community in particular but evidently deciding not to mention others who have been defying group-size restrictions to protest in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer,” said Angus Reid.. ar3 .The only provincial leader generating an approval rating lower than Kenney is Pallister..“Just 32 per cent of residents approve of the Progressive Conservative leader, representing a 12-point drop from last quarter. Manitoba is currently under some of the strictest lockdown measures in the country, with the province asking people to only leave their homes for essentials and restricting private and public gatherings. Manitoba health officials, alongside Alberta, are dealing with the fastest spread of the virus in the country over the past two weeks on a per capita basis,” said Angus Reid.. ar4 .Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.TWITTER: Twitter.com/nobby7694
