How Omicron gave Doug Ford's government its worst polling numbers in 2 years
CBC
Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet received their worst polling results of the COVID-19 pandemic as the Omicron wave of infections hit Ontario, according to government documents obtained by CBC News.
The figures are found in the reports of polling paid for by taxpayers and commissioned by the cabinet office, the arm of the provincial public service that serves the premier.
The polling, obtained through a freedom of information request, reveals what the government learned week-by-week about public opinion of its overall performance and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A key question these polls have asked throughout Ford's term: "Overall, do you feel that the Ontario provincial government is on the right track or the wrong track, in terms of how it is governing the province?"
In January, the percentage of people answering "wrong track" hit levels not seen at any time in the pandemic.
The Jan. 11 polling report, prepared for the cabinet office as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surged in Ontario, showed 58 per cent of those polled saying the government was on the wrong track, the highest percentage since February of 2020.
Throughout 2019 and the first two months of 2020, the government's "wrong track" score in the same series of polls, conducted by the Strategic Counsel research firm, ranged from 52 to 66 per cent, then plunged dramatically after the pandemic hit the province.
The new polls obtained by CBC News cover a period from mid-September 2021 until late January.
Polls that were previously obtained showed the public's generally positive view of the government's performance in 2020 but then growing dissatisfaction during the second and third waves of COVID-19.
The Jan. 11 polling report contained other bad news for Ford and his PCs.
"In terms of the economy, rating of the government's performance for the economic and government spending metrics ... are now at the lowest levels since tracking began," the polling firm said in its summary of key findings that week.
The government's performance on 'making life more affordable' received a score of –45, meaning the proportion of people rating its performance as "good" was 45 percentage points lower than those rating it as "poor."
Other highlights from the most recent polling:
The government wasn't just interested in public opinion on the COVID-19 response. Polls in recent months included questions about Ontario's minimum wage, the cost of housing and the impact of inflation.
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