Harper defends Alberta’s interests better than Notley: poll

CALGARY – A new poll suggests Albertans believe the Prime Minister is doing a better job protecting the province than the Premier.

The poll from Mainstreet Technologies released on Monday asked respondents who they thought was a better defender of Alberta’s interests, Stephen Harper or Rachel Notley.

Of over 3,000 people polled, half said Stephen Harper while only a third said Rachel Notley.

When asked if they approved or disapproved of the way Rachel Notley was handling her job as premier, 45 per cent of Albertans said they approved while 42 per cent said they disapproved.

“Premier Notley’s approval is staying fairly strong, despite her disapproval numbers increasing significantly since her election back in May,” said President of Mainstreet Technologies Quito Maggi.

Maggi suggested recent economic factors, such as a slide in oil prices, were likely involved in the increased disapproval.

“These prices will affect Alberta’s resource economy negatively, how the Notley government responds to this new challenge will be the first big test of her Government. So far, Albertans are waiting to see the specifics of her plan which will be unveiled in the fall budget.”

When Mainstreet Technologies questioned participants about how they thought the province should tackle falling oil prices, over a third said the government should cut spending so as to not increase the provincial deficit.

The poll found over half of Albertans felt pessimistic about the state of the Alberta economy over the next 12 months, while only 27 per cent felt pessimistic about their own family’s financial situation over the next year.

According to Mainstreet Technologies the poll carries an overall margin of error of +/- 1.77%, 19 times out of 20.