Sask. government leads nation in performance, but criticism grows on key issues: Angus Reid poll

MLAs debate cost of living relief WATCH: Following an Angus Reid poll, the Sask. NDP are calling attention to the gov't's actions on cost of living.

A recent poll from the Angus Reid Institute (ARI) suggests there’s more widespread criticism of Saskatchewan’s government on some key portfolios as compared to five years ago.

In its latest report, Angus Reid found a national trend of decline – as Canadians in all provinces “grow more critical of their governments as unresolved issues linger.”

The non-profit found the rising cost of living paired with the state of health care weighed heavily on residents’ minds across the country.

The case is the same in Saskatchewan – with the addition of a key third concern.

“Education is a priority for those in Saskatchewan and Quebec, two provinces where labour action from teachers interrupted the current school year.”

Angus Reid reported that a majority of residents surveyed say the government is doing a poor job on education (62 per cent), health care (66 per cent) and inflation (61 per cent).

According to the pollster, majorities still believe Premier Scott Moe and his government are performing well on the issues relating to the economy (52 per cent) and energy policy (60 per cent).

Saskatchewan’s overall performance leads the country with a score of 42 – 11 points above the current national average but 23 points below its score five years ago.

Saskatchewan’s current score would have ranked the province sixth nationally when compared to rankings in 2018.

“ARI’s Government Performance Index – which averages the number of provincial residents who say their government is doing a “good job” on key issues such as health care, inflation, housing affordability, education and more – has seen a 15-point drop on average across the country,” the report read.

In its comments, the organization highlighted some of the province’s strides in addressing a shortage of nurses while also pointing to rural healthcare concerns and renewed calls for more affordability relief.

“The Saskatchewan government has consistently outperformed its peers when it comes to residents’ assessments of how it is handling key files,” the report read.

“However, it has not been immune to the rising tide of criticism facing all provincial governments, especially on the top issues of health care and inflation.”

Angus Reid conducted its survey online from Feb. 28 to March 6 – utilizing a total sample of 4,550 residents, with 389 being located in Saskatchewan. All respondents were members of the Angus Reid forum.

The poll reported a margin of error of +/- five per cent for data relating to Saskatchewan.