Doug Ford’s government doing 'poor job' on most issues, new survey finds

It’s been six months since Doug Ford was re-elected premier of Ontario, and according to a new survey his government is getting a “frosty” reception on the majority of issues.

The data, released by the Angus Reid Institute on Thursday, suggests Ontarians believe the Ford government has performed poorly on all major issues, with the exception of its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 81 per cent of respondents said the Ford government was doing a “poor job” on health care, while 78 per cent said the same of cost of living.

The survey suggests about 80 per cent of Ontarians also believe the Progressive Conservatives are doing a poor job on housing affordability—a file the government has been prioritizing since they were re-elected.

“The only issue for which the government receives more praise than condemnation is its ongoing handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, chosen as a top priority for just eight per cent of Ontarians,” the survey says.

About 49 per cent of respondents say the government did a good job with its response to the pandemic, while 46 per cent say they did a poor job. Four per cent said they were not sure.

An Angus Reid survey shows how Ontarians believe the Doug Ford government is handling a number of issues.

The survey comes as Ford’s approval rate continues to drop. A separate Angus Reid survey released on Dec. 7 suggested Ford’s approval rate sits around 34 per cent, making him one of the lowest-ranking premiers in the country.

It also represents an 11-point drop since the June election.

The rankings were calculated on the heels of a controversial few months involving negotiations with education workers and the government’s use of the notwithstanding clause.

According to the most recent data, Ontarians primarily blame Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce for the dispute.

About 45 per cent of respondents say the blame lies with Ford, while about 41 per cent place the fault on Lecce.

ONTARIANS WOULD STILL RE-ELECT FORD

Despite all of this, the survey suggests little has changed in terms of Ontarians’ voting intentions.

If an election was held today, about 37 per cent of respondents said they would support the Progressive Conservatives, while 27 per cent would vote for other New Democratic Party and 25 per cent would throw their support to the Liberals.

“All three figures are statistically identical to those seen prior to the June election, when Ford won a majority government with 41 per cent of the vote.” The online survey of 1,058 was conducted between Nov. 28 and Dec. 3, and carries a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points 19 times out of 20.