Liberal Support Holds Steady in N.L.

MQO Research’s quarterly poll of 600 residents of Newfoundland and Labrador gauged the political temperature in the province for this January edition of the quarterly political poll: Atlantic Matters.

Provincial Politics

According to our latest poll, support for the Liberal Party held steady in January after rebounding last quarter.

  • The undecided/don’t know group remains relatively high at 26% of all voters.
  • Among decided and leaning voters, Liberal support in the province sits at 43% which is on par
    with October.
  • After slipping slightly last quarter, the PC Party jumped 5 points remaining in second place at
    36% (decided/leaning voters).
  • The NDP lost ground in January slipping 7 points to 20% (decided/leaning voters).

Overall Leadership

The public’s assessment of Premier Dwight Ball also held steady in January. The mean rating, on a scale of 1-10, was 4.0 in January. However, Premier Ball continues to be in general disfavour with the people of the province, as 74% of voters continue to rate the Premier’s performance at a 5 or lower, on a scale of 1-10.

Provincial Outlook

The provincial economy remains a big concern for residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. Overall, 69% feel the economy is continuing to get worse, up from 63% in October.

Personal Wellbeing

Residents continue to indicate significant concern with respect to their personal situations. Overall, 60% expressed a high level of concern about the cost of living (rating it an 8 or higher on a 10-point scale). Meanwhile close to one-third (29%) rated their general stress level 8 or higher. Further, a strong majority are very unlikely to make a major purchase in 2017 (80%).

The Atlantic Matters poll was conducted by telephone from January 25 to January 28, 2017 and included 600 randomly selected eligible voters from across the province. The margin of error for the survey is ± 4.0 percentage points 19 times out of 20. Among decided and leaning voters, the margin of error is ± 5.0 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

About MQO Research

MQO Research is one of Atlantic Canada’s leading market research firms, providing research insights to clients throughout the region and beyond. Our team includes experts in quantitative and qualitative methodologies and program evaluation. MQO is a Gold Seal member of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) and as such subscribes to the highest standards of information gathering and research ethics in the industry in Canada.

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For more information on Atlantic Matters or MQO Research, contact:
Rick Emberley, Senior Counsel
[email protected]
Phone 902-465-3154
Cell 902-456-9268