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July 19, 2024 – From slamming the Trudeau government for allegedly encroaching too far into matters of provincial jurisdiction to a lawsuit aimed at equalization reform, this week’s gathering of provincial premiers in Halifax echoed one theme: a harder line with Ottawa.
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute indicates it’s an approach Canadians back.
Half (51%) say they want their provincial government to stand-up for their province’s interests even if it means disagreement with Ottawa. One-third (35%) would go further and believe their province should do what it takes to defend provincial interests, including refusing to participate in federal initiatives to make a point – a now-common tactic of governments in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Indeed, it is residents of those two provinces (48% in Alberta, 58% in Saskatchewan) who are most supportive of a “tough” approach.
Premiers of those two provinces – Alberta’s Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe – are also rated (relatively) highly by their residents when it comes to how well they are doing defending their province’s interests to the federal government. Two-in-five (42%) in Alberta say Smith is doing a good or excellent job on this front; half (47%) in Saskatchewan say the same of Moe. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew (56%) performs best on this metric, though having served for the least amount of time in that position.
When it comes to the federal side of the coin, majorities believe the leaders of the three main federal parties care little, if at all, for the interest of their provinces. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is most likely to be viewed as caring “a great deal” or “a fair amount” (36% combined) about provincial priorities, boosted by a majority in Alberta (55%) and Saskatchewan (54%) who believe this to be the case.
Prime Minister and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau scores six points lower on this measure at 30 per cent. At least two-thirds in every province say the PM cares only a bit or not at all about their province’s interests.
Link to the poll, and more key findings, here: www.angusreid.org/
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