Seven-in-10 say Notley government is ‘out of touch’ with what Albertans really want

WITH the unification of the former Wildrose and Progressive Conservative parties culminating October 28 with the election of a new leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP), Premier Rachel Notley will know her challenger for the 2019 election, states Angus Reid Institute.

Whether it turns out to be Brian Jean, Jason Kenney, or a surprise choice other than those two front-runners, the new leader will find himself on a relatively promising path to the Premier’s office, according to a new Angus Reid Institute analysis of quarterly polling data.

Both Jean and Kenney are viewed more favourably than the current premier, and an overwhelming number of Albertans (70%) see Notley as “out of touch” with what Albertans really want from their provincial leadership.

More Key Findings:

• Fewer than three-in-ten Albertans (29%) approve of Notley; both former PC leader Jason Kenney (38%) and former Wildrose leader Brian Jean (48%) surpass her on this marker

• Asked which of the front-runners they would prefer to see leading the United Conservative Party into the 2019 election, 33 per cent of Albertans choose Jean, while 22 per cent would prefer Kenney. The rest opt for neither of the two (22%) or express no preference (23%)

• Just under half of Alberta’s residents (47%) express concern that the UCP will be too right-wing, and would like to see a centrist alternative emerge