Poll finds support steady for Sask. Party post budget

It appears the province’s mantra of “transformational change” hasn’t changed the premier’s popularity.

A Mainstreet/Postmedia poll released Tuesday finds support for the Saskatchewan Party flat post-budget, with Premier Brad Wall’s approval rating at 65 per cent.

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.48 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

“Despite some negative news in the budget, there doesn’t appear to be much of an effect on the Sask Party,” said Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet Research, in a news release Tuesday.

“Brad Wall has spent most of his time talking about the proposed energy east pipeline lately – not the budget. It’s a clever strategy that has kept the focus on Brad Wall as a statesman,” he said.

A random sample of 1,567 Sask. residents was surveyed on June 13 by a mixture of landline and cell phone calls. Results were weighed by age and gender based on the 2011 Canadian Census.

The findings show 51 percent of Sask. residents feel optimistic about their own personal finances, while 50 per cent feel pessimistic for the province’s economic outlook.  

Around 54 per cent of people polled say the province is moving in the right direction and 51 per cent say they believe the provincial government will be able to keep its promise to balance the books.

“When it comes to potential savings, a cut to government and MLA salaries is the most popular idea,” Maggi said.

According to the poll, 63 per cent say the cuts should be considered though, not surprisingly, only 32 per cent approve of the idea in Regina, where a majority 54 per cent don’t believe salary cuts should be on the table.

Additionally, the poll suggests Sask. residents are adamantly against tax raises, with 71per cent saying the government should not consider that option, while 54 are opposed to a PST increase even if it meant no significant service cuts.

More, the same or less?

Residents were asked if the province needed more, the same or less than the 13 local health regions: 35 per cent said less, 32 per cent said the same while eight per cent thought more; 25 per cent were not sure.

Participants were asked to give their opinion in the same way on the 28 local school boards: 46 per cent said less were needed, 31 per cent said the same while six per cent said more; 17 per cent were not sure.  

The poll also asked people how they felt regarding the number of rural municipalities: 48 per cent said they were fine with the current 296 RMs, 38 per cent said less were needed, while 4 per cent said more; 10 per cent were not sure.

View the full findings below.