OTTAWA -- The feelings of Quebecers towards their premier are starting to cool, according to a survey conducted jointly by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Quebecers had expressed great appreciation for how François Legault managed the pandemic; Legault received a satisfaction rate ranging from 91 per cent to 95 per cent during the first six weeks of the pandemic.
But that rate dropped to 88 per cent last week, and now it has dipped again to 77 per cent.
What is behind the change in public sentiment toward Legault?
"On the issues of reopening and deconfinement, not everyone thinks the same way," noted Christian Bourque, executive vice-president and partner at Leger. "This unanimity that was there at the start, I think it is no longer objectively possible."
But Legault can console himself. Even at 77 per cent, only Justin Trudeau (who according to the same poll has satisfied 76 per cent of Quebecers with his handling of the pandemic) scores as highly as Legault among Quebecers.
Bourque said Legault ranked in the middle of the pack of his provincial counterparts, who scored from a low of 62 per cent (Alberta's Jason Kenney) to a high of 88 per cent (British Columbia's John Horgan) this week.
This survey, carried out online like those that preceded it, does not allow the calculation of a margin of error. This week, 1,526 Canadians, including 421 Quebecers, responded to the survey between May 8 and 11.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2020.
