Sask. Party leads over NDP, cost of living top issue for voters: Poll

A new survey by the Angus Reid Institute showed Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party still has a big lead over the NDP opposition, but potential voters aren’t happy with the government’s performance on health care or the rising cost of living.

According to the latest poll from the right-leaning think tank, 57 per cent of decided voters would support the Moe government’s re-election, with 34 per cent favouring the NDP.

“The Saskatchewan Party holds a commanding 23-point lead in vote intention,” the poll read, “with the second-place NDP emerging from a leadership race and looking to find a way to close the gap before the 2024 election.”

The top issues for Saskatchewan voters were cost of living and inflation (68 per cent), health care (47 per cent), the economy and jobs (31 per cent), and the deficit and government spending (26 per cent).

When it comes to the cost of living and inflation, just 25 per cent of those surveyed said the Moe government is doing a good or very good job, compared to 68 per cent who rated the government’s performance as poor or very poor.

The government also scored low on health care. Fifty-one per cent rated its performance as poor or very poor, compared to 45 per cent who said the government’s delivery of health care was good or very good.

When it comes to the economy, the Moe government performed well, with 53 per cent giving a positive response, compared to 38 per cent who gave a negative review.

The government continues to enjoy the largest advantage outside the province’s major cities, according to Angus Reid.

“The Saskatchewan Party’s advantage over the NDP in vote intent is much greater outside of Saskatoon and Regina,” the survey read. “Three times as many people in those areas of the province say they would vote Saskatchewan Party as NDP.”

The poll was based on a sample of 594 people in Saskatchewan, with a margin of error of four per cent.