MONTREAL -- The climate of trust deteriorated over the summer in Quebec, both institutionally and interpersonally, according to a recent survey.
The l'Institut de la confiance dans les organisations (ICO) presented data on Thursday that suggests that all levels of government are experiencing less public trust than they did three months ago.
Satisfaction with Premier Francois Legault's management of the COVID-19 crisis has eroded the most, but it is still at a higher level than satisfaction with the federal response.
This conclusion is shown in the ICO's Societal Confidence Index, based on the opinions of 1,000 Quebecers who were polled by BIP Research between Aug. 25 and Sept. 2.
Respondents also said they were slightly less inclined to obey the laws, although a large majority remains in favour of government measures and say they are ready to comply.
Those who question the science and the rules are just a "noisy minority," according to the institute.
Quebecers also trust others less in general, the survey noted, as the pandemic fuels anxiety and worry.
In particular, the crisis is said to have harmed solidarity and mutual aid in the eyes of those surveyed.
However, Quebecers feel that their standard of living has improved slightly since June. Only one in two respondents felt that the crisis had a negative effect on their personal life during the same period, down seven percentage points from the previous quarter.
The ICO is a non-profit, politically and financially independent think tank.
-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2020.
