Biritish Columbians are saying ‘no thank you’ to the prospect of a snap election, according to a new poll.
More than seven in 10 respondents to the Angus Reid survey said they were not interested in a return to the polls, including 55 per cent of BC Liberal voters.
LISTEN: Angus Reid Executive Director Shachi Kurl breaks down the poll results
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“The advice from British Columbians is really don’t go there, and snap out of that idea,” says Angus Reid Institute Executive Director Shachi Kurl.
In the event another election is held, the poll suggests there may be just enough wiggle room to knock the Legislature out of its current virtual tie.
READ MORE: B.C. Liberal cabinet sworn in but defeat looms for minority government
The BC Liberals currently holds 43 seats, while the NDP holds 41 and the Greens three.
One-in-10 voters said they would change their vote if given a do-over, with nearly one-in-four Green voters suggesting they’d switch tickets.
Among intentions of those who would switch, Kurl says the BC Liberals hold a slight edge over the NDP.
“It may well have been enough to change the course of what we see today given that barely little more than 1,000 votes ended up separating the two main parties across the province, I mean it was a razor thin margin.”
Overall, 63 per cent said the NDP-Green alliance should be given a chance to govern, while just over half of respondents said B.C. was better off with a minority government.
Leadership
The poll finds some troubling numbers for both Premier Christy Clark and NDP Leader John Horgan.
More than six in 10 respondents say Christy Clark should step down as B.C. Liberal leader, including a third of people who cast a ballot for her party.
Clark has indicated she has no plans to step down, and says if defeated in a confidence vote she would serve as leader of the opposition.
As for the NDP-Green Alliance, Andrew Weaver appears to be growing on NDP voters with four in 10 saying their view of him had improved.
But John Horgan can’t claim the same success among supporters of his key ally, with as many people — about two in 10 — saying their opinion of him had improved as had worsened.
Clark continues to be seen as the best leader when it comes to the economy, with Horgan holding the edge in healthcare and education, and Weaver leading on the environment.
The poll of 810 British Columbians was conducted between June 15-19 and is considered accurate within +/- 3.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
- With files from Charmaine de Silva
Read the entire poll
Angus Reid Post election poll by CKNW980 on Scribd