Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach plunges in poll

CALGARY — A new opinion poll shows support for the long-ruling Alberta Conservatives has dropped dramatically since Premier Ed Stelmach took the party’s helm, and nearly six in 10 people surveyed disapprove of his performance.

The poll of 802 Albertans, conducted by telephone from Oct. 2 to 7, was done by Return on Insight, a Calgary consulting firm run by Bruce Cameron.

The figures suggest if a provincial election were held today, 30 per cent of respondents would support the Tories, 22 per cent would back the upstart Wildrose Alliance, the Liberals would garner 18 per cent support and nine per cent would back the NDP. (Twelve per cent were undecided, while four per cent still like the defunct Green party, and five per cent says they’d support other parties.)

The Tories’ plunge in popularity compared to January 2007, when the party enjoyed 54 per cent support, is dramatic, Cameron said. He also noted 57 per cent of people surveyed disapprove of Stelmach’s performance, versus 15 per cent in the weeks after his December 2006 PC leadership win, and 34 per cent in January 2008.

Moreover, 58 per cent said their opinion of the Conservatives has worsened in the past year, while 36 per cent indicated it was unchanged, and only four per cent said their perception of the party had improved. Two per cent were unsure of how to respond.

“The results are incredibly negative for Ed Stelmach and the PC party,” Cameron said. “Despite their great dominance in the legislature, right now, they’re losing the confidence of the people of Alberta.”

Cameron, who worked on former Tory MLA Lyle Oberg’s leadership campaign, said his firm’s poll wasn’t commissioned by an organization or political party, adding he’s not a member of a provincial party.

The latest public opinion survey comes during a crucial week for Stelmach and his party. On Wednesday, the premier will addresses Albertans in a televised speech. The next day, he’ll speak to party supporters at a PC fundraising dinner in Red Deer. Meanwhile, the surging Wildrose Alliance, which Cameron suggests is siphoning Tory support, will choose its new leader Saturday.

Calgary Herald

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