TORONTO – The prime minister is less and less “prime” and if he remains a (prime) minister it is only thanks to the Liberal-NDP trust agreement because if we went to vote now he would probably be soundly defeated. 

This is what emerges from the latest analysis by the Angus Reid Institute, according to which Canadians tend to believe that the government is doing wrong (46%) rather than right (41%). Obviously discontent is highest among former Conservative voters (85%), while Liberal (73%) and NDP (59%) supporters are both satisfied at majority level. However, Justin Trudeau’s personal approval rating is in free fall: the prime minister in fact sees his approval rating drop to the lowest since the 2021 elections: 36%.

The slippage in approval by Liberal (74%) and NDP (46%) voters is lowering the prime minister’s rating after a rise which, by the end of 2022, pushed the Liberal leader to 43%. Trudeau’s rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, fares no better when it comes to personal assessment: half of Canadians (50%) view Poilievre unfavourably, while his approval rating is equal to Trudeau’s (36%). However, more Canadians – 59 per cent – say they have a negative view of the prime minister than those who view Poilievre negatively.

A meager satisfaction for Poilievre who, despite the Trudeau crisis, does not break through: overall, only three percent of Canadians have a positive view of the two leaders and more than one in five (19%) see both in a negative light.

Comparing these views further, the Angus Reid Institute finds that one in three Canadians (33%) see Trudeau negatively and Poilievre positively, while nearly the same number see Trudeau positively and Poilievre negatively (29%).

As for the split of opinions by gender, men are more likely to view Poilievre (47%) positively than Trudeau (29%) or Singh (38%), while women are more likely to like Singh (53%) and Trudeau (43%). ) compared to Poilievre (26%). As for young people, Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 are three times (6%) more likely than other age groups to view both Poilievre and Trudeau favorably.

Another interesting fact highlighted by the research is that relating to the feeling that the government is not doing what the people need: almost half (47%) of people “in difficulty” according to the Angus Reid economic stress index Institute believes the government has been operating “terribly” since the NDP and Liberals have ruled together. These people offer a more positive assessment of Poilievre who, moreover, has harshly attacked Trudeau and the liberals on several occasions on the inflation issue, blaming them for public spending and other measures that have exerted undue pressure on Canadian households: the Poilievre’s gap in favor of Singh and Trudeau among those ‘struggling’ suggests that perhaps that message is working. Even if, as we said, not even Poilievre seems particularly loved by Canadians.

In the pic above, Justin Trudeau (from Twitter – @JustinTrudeau)