Premier John Horgan (image courtesy of the B.C. Government)

By Liam Verster

Survey Results

Horgan leaving office with relatively high approval rating: survey

Jun 29, 2022 | 4:00 AM

A report from the Angus Reid Institute shows that B.C. Premier John Horgan will be leaving office as one of the most approved-of premiers in Canada.

The leader of the B.C. NDP announced he was leaving politics Tuesday, June 28.

READ MORE: Horgan to step down as premier; won;t seek re-election

The report from the Angus Reid Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan public opinion research foundation, shows Horgan has had an average approval rating of 55.4 per cent between September 2017 and June 2022.

Horgan entered office in May of 2017, and in September his approval rating was calculated at 48 per cent. When he made his announcement of leaving politics, Horgan had an approval rating of 48 per cent as well.

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Horgan’s lowest approval rating was recorded in December of 2018 at 43 per cent, while his highest was 71 per cent in June 2020.

Premier John Horgan’s approval ratings between September 2017 and June 2022 (graphic courtesy of the Angus Reid Institute)

The Angus Reid Institute (ARI) reports the B.C. Premier had some ups and downs during his nearly six years at the helm, but under the COVID-19 pandemic his approval spiked while other provincial leaders’ approval ratings plummeted.

Horgan and B.C.’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic were well received. The pollster reports that 21 per cent of British Columbians surveyed in March 2022 found the provincial government did a very good job handling the pandemic; 41 per cent said the provide did a good job, while just 17 responded that the province did a bad job and 11 per cent said it was completely mishandled.

The pollster reports that only the Atlantic provinces received higher approval related to COVID-19 response, with 23 per cent saying the provinces did a very good job and 47 per cent saying they did a good job.

Results of a poll asking the public of their premier’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (graphic courtesy of the Angus Reid Institue)

Despite the praise for the response to the pandemic, other initiatives fell short during Horgan’s term.

According to ARI survey results from June 2022, only nine per cent of respondents found the province did a good or very good job handling housing affordability; 14 per cent said the province did a good or very good job wit the cost of living and inflation; the handling of health care only got a 27 per cent approval rating; 33 per cent of respondents said good work was done related to environment and climate change; and 42 per cent had positive responses related to the economy and jobs.

Poll results relating to B.C.’s actions to address key issues (graphic courtesy of the Angus Reid Institute)

The plans to rebuild the Royal B.C. Museum announced in May also received sharp push back from the public.

In a survey from June 2022, 42 per cent of respondents say they strongly opposed the plan to rebuild the museum; 27 per cent say they opposed the plan; 18 per cent were in support of the rebuild and just four per cent were strongly in support.

ARI noted that Horgan is taking an “unusual and privileged” way of leaving office. Since 1970, electoral defeat or resignation under low approval ratings or amid scandals has been the common theme for B.C. premiers.