NDP Maintains Lead but Conservatives Gaining Ground with Gen Z Boost
Navigator Poll Shows BC United at 13%
VANCOUVER, BC, June 19, 2024 /CNW/ - While the NDP maintains a strong lead with 47 per cent, a recent poll conducted by Navigator Ltd. reveals the Conservative Party of BC has the support of a whopping 32 per cent of decided voters, solidly backed by generation Z (34 per cent), millennials (35 per cent) and gen-Xers (38 per cent).
Meanwhile if an election were held today, just 13 per cent of decided voters would vote BC United, according to new research that shows a risk of a deepening collapse of the former BC Liberal Party.
"Premier David Eby is by far the more popular leader, however, the momentum is with the BC Conservatives, a party that hasn't run a full slate of candidates in decades," said Paula Arab, Associate Principal of Navigator's Vancouver office.
"The more people get to know them, and leader John Rustad, the more they are liking what they see. Any initial boost by brand alignment with the federal Conservatives and leader Pierre Poilievre has now translated into solid support."
More respondents supported than opposed two marquee policies of the provincial Conservatives – removing the unpopular BC carbon tax on all products, including gasoline; and expanding BC's liquified natural gas (LNG) production and export.
Among those voting Conservative, 61 per cent said it's because they want a change, 48 per cent said they believe the Conservatives are the best party to lead the province, and 42 per cent said: "I like Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party of BC seems to align with him."
For BC United, leader Kevin Falcon must find ways of resonating better with British Columbians over the summer. He has the lowest scores among the leaders and has some work to do in the next few months or this will become a two-horse race between the NDP and Conservatives.
Of those who said they aren't voting for BC United, 54 per cent said it's because they don't like the leader. This compared with 35 per cent of those not voting NDP or Conservative for the same reason.
When asked to name the most pressing issue facing the province, housing affordability topped the list, followed by the cost-of-living crisis and then access to health care. Respondents consistently ranked these as the top three concerns.
They also overwhelmingly agreed, at 63 per cent, with the decision to recriminalize public drug use in BC, "so that use of illegal drugs is now restricted to residences and safe injection/harm reduction sites. The pilot program to decriminalize public drug use did not go as planned: Toxic drug deaths in the first year of the now-ended pilot hit a new record high in 2023 – mostly driven by fentanyl use."
Review the full research findings here: https://navltd.com/taking-the-pulse-bc/
Discover by Navigator undertook an online survey among 1,000 adult British Columbians who intend to vote in the upcoming provincial election. The survey was in field from May 21 to 25, 2024. It has a margin of error of +/=3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Discover by Navigator is a full-service, in-house research division led by a team of highly skilled experts. We provide cutting-edge research solutions to uncover stakeholder sentiment and develop a comprehensive understanding of current issues.
Navigator is Canada's premier high-stakes public strategy firm. Our team of seasoned professionals brings a wealth of experience from diverse fields, including public affairs, public opinion research, journalism, marketing, law, government relations, and politics. Our passion and expertise drive us to generate creative insights and fresh perspectives.
Navigator was established to provide companies, organizations, and governments with winning strategies that integrate rigorous research and planning with cutting-edge marketing, communications, and government and stakeholder relations tactics. This approach allows us to analyze issues in novel ways, enabling to ask the unthought-of question, discover the unrealized answer, and expose fresh insights that move public opinion.
For more information or to request an interview, contact:
Paula Arab
Cell: 403.889.9128
[email protected]
SOURCE Navigator Limited
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