VANCOUVER, Sept. 29, 2015 /CNW/ - A new study ranks Mike Harris, former Ontario Premier, as the best in Canada – and Quebec's Pauline Marois the worst – in a performance review of 80 premiers since 1981. The rankings are found in Premier Class: Canada's Best and Worst Leaders, the inaugural report from new Vancouver-based interactive think tank Aha!
In addition to the report, a free set of premier playing cards is available at aha.world, with face values equal to each premier's ranking; Harris for example is the ace of spades and Marois is the two of clubs. Website visitors can collect and share the cards on social media.
"We ranked Canadian premiers using eleven fiscal and economic outcomes, such as job growth, balanced budgets, and business investment", said co-author, economist and Aha! CEO Dr. Mark Mullins, "and we found that leadership and fiscal and economic policies really do matter."
The study finds that Saskatchewan's Brad Wall is the top current serving premier, while Ontario's Kathleen Wynne takes last place.
As well, Alberta has had the best set of premiers since 1981, followed by British Columbia and Ontario; Quebec's premiers as a group were in last place.
"This study can serve as a reference guide to the federal election," said co-author Dr. Mark Milke, policy analyst, author and political scientist, "since three decades of evidence shows there is a close link between premiers' party affiliation and what they achieve in office."
On that point, the report notes that small-c conservative premiers dominate the rankings, taking nine of the top 10 spots and two thirds of the top 20, though every party has at least two premiers in the bottom ten spots.
Finally, fiscal outcomes across Canada have been dropping for twenty years and economic outcomes are currently at risk, implying that average leadership quality has declined.
The report is the first in a series of three. The report, sharable graphics and premier cards can be found at aha.world.
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SOURCE Aha! Insights Inc
Image with caption: "Premiers report from new think tank Aha! (CNW Group/Aha! Insights Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150929_C4214_PHOTO_EN_500030.jpg
Image with caption: "Mike Harris ranked best premier in 30 years (CNW Group/Aha! Insights Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150929_C4214_PHOTO_EN_500032.jpg
Image with caption: "Brad Wall ranked best current premier (CNW Group/Aha! Insights Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150929_C4214_PHOTO_EN_500034.jpg
Image with caption: "Aha! Insights Inc. (CNW Group/Aha! Insights Inc)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150929_C4214_PHOTO_EN_500025.jpg
Media Contact: Mark Mullins at [email protected] and (604) 971-6275
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