Thursday, August 21, 2008

Bad Trends

No wonder Harper is itching for an election, he has passed his best before date:
As prospects for a fall election grow, a new survey indicates public satisfaction with the Harper government has deteriorated since last fall.

The extensive survey, conducted for the Privy Council Office, found Canadians are split in their judgment of the government's performance, with 34 per cent positive and 35 per cent negative. The rest are neutral.

In the previous Harris/Decima survey in December 2007, 35 per cent expressed satisfaction with the government's performance, while 30 per cent gave it thumbs down.

The results offer scant encouragement to a Conservative government that nonetheless seems eager to trigger an election this fall. In nearly every policy area, the public mood is noticeably more sour than it was late last year.

The government gets some of its worst marks for accountability, a supposed priority area, with just 28 per cent positive and 42 per cent negative. Only on climate change is its performance more harshly judged.

Ominously for the Conservatives, the survey found that satisfaction ratings have declined across the board since December, even in areas where the government's marks are still positive.

Even one of the government's touchstone issues - crime and justice - isn't playing particularly well. While the number giving the government good marks has risen slightly, to 37 per cent from 34 per cent last December, negative ratings have jumped even more, to 38 per cent.

There's also been a big slide in satisfaction with the government's handling of the economy. Last December, nearly half said it was doing a good job of economic management. In the latest survey, that fell to just 39 per cent, while the number expressing dissatisfaction shot up to 30 per cent from 19 per cent.

Those are dreadful numbers, especially when you consider accountability and crime are supposed strengths.

Conclusion: The more we see, the less we like.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

When the economy sours, it has a collateral impact on everything else. Oily may be a problem too.

Jeff said...

Well, you know, the survey sponsors always end up getting the result they want.

The extensive survey, conducted for the Privy Council Office

Opps!

I love the fact that Harper spent taxpayer dollars to fund out Canadians are liking him less and less. Seems poetic somehow.

Steve V said...

Jeff

Imagine the results if the poll wasn't commissioned by the PC :)

Anonymous said...

"Well, you know, the survey sponsors always end up getting the result they want."

I don't think that's true. Most of the time people spend money on polls to do strategic planning etc... If you just want results that you like - all you have to do is make up a fictitious poll.

wilson said...

What a load of bs.

The extensive survey, conducted for the Privy Council Office, ..... with 34 per cent positive and 35 per cent negative.
''The rest are neutral''.

is being compared to:

A ten month old survey by a DIFFERENT pollster:

In the previous Harris/Decima .... 35 per cent expressed satisfaction with the government's performance, while 30 per cent gave it thumbs down.

= bad trends, comparing to a December survey (by H/D) ????

Steve V said...

wilson

I defer to you, because bullshit is your speciality.

I guess I should amend the post title, it's actually a "good trend" for anyone who cares about Canada.

RuralSandi said...

PCO survey - costing taxpayers $92,000

Why do they need to do this...Harper's been polling all along with this 10%'rs.

Wilson - you like how Harper spends your money? Polling more than double that of any prior government, $650,000 for GST stickers, makeup lady....and on and on...your taxpayer dollars at work.

Anonymous said...

Is this what we expect from a government that is in year 2.5 of its mandate?

Not that I support Dion abstaining, but is this one of Harper's dilemmas in not engineering his own defeat a year earlier?

Steve V said...

mushroom

As much as I hate to admit it, abstaining might have been a good thing, what with retrospect and all. You can really see many negative impressions cementing themselves now.

Anonymous said...

Both polls were conducted by Decima.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=dd50553e-c385-4ddd-b729-a9320810b208