CITYnews halifax : Most Nova Scotians not satisfied with government’s performance: Poll

CITYnews halifax / By Steve Gow

A new poll indicates that a majority of Nova Scotians remain unsatisfied with the provincial government.

Released on Friday, Narrative Research’s latest quarterly survey shows 59 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the performance of the Nova Scotia government.

Collected online among more than 1,600 eligible voters, the results suggest the popularity of the province’s overall performance remains stagnant with previous results from March.

“Residents are really turning to their government for solutions and they are not feeling at this moment as though the provincial government is helping them out in that regard,” says Narrative Research CEO Margaret Brigley about the survey.

Brigley says the most dissatisfied respondents in Nova Scotia were those under the age of 34, while respondents 55 years old and above reported being most satisfied.

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Women were most likely to say they were dissatisfied with the provincial government’s performance.

Narrative Research says there are a number of factors for dissatisfaction in each province; however, in Nova Scotia, decisions regarding fiscal choices, service and cultural-sector cuts, healthcare, and perceived favouritism toward business interests were among the greatest concerns.

Conversely, the June 10 to 17 online poll found that while all Atlantic Canadians were largely dissatisfied with their provincial leadership, close to two-thirds (65 per cent) of Nova Scotians reported satisfaction with Mark Carney’s leadership.

(Narrative Research)

“There’s quite a contrast with what we’re seeing with the federal government right now,” notes Brigley. “(Respondents) are telling us they are largely satisfied with the performance of the federal government.”

Satisfaction for the federal government is driven by confidence in Carney’s “management of Canada’s relationship with the United States, efforts to reduce dependence on the U.S. and expand trade relationships with other countries, as well as perceptions of steady leadership and economic expertise during a challenging period.”