The Ontario Liberals face a vexing problem heading into the June election. Polls show that voters actually like recent Liberal policies. But as for party leader Kathleen Wynne? Not so much. Her approval ratings are the pits. Even the fractious and chaotic Ontario PC leadership campaign has done little to move the needle in her favour.
Last fall, a survey conducted by Angus Reid Institute pegged Wynne’s approval rating at just 17 per cent. That was actually an improvement from earlier in the year, when her ratings hit rock bottom at 12 per cent. Other firms have found a similar lack of enthusiasm for the premier. In December, an Ipsos poll reported 80 per cent of those surveyed felt it was time for a change in government, and just 26 per cent strongly or somewhat approved of the Liberals’ job performance under Wynne. Even surveys of self-identified Liberals don’t offer much hope. Forum Research found 34 per cent of respondents who intend to vote for the party disapprove of Wynne’s performance, which is unusually low for a leader in office.
Oddly, recent Liberal initiatives are proving popular. In January, Campaign Research found 72 per cent of survey respondents approved of the Liberal’s pharmacare plan to provide free medication to those aged 24 and under, which was introduced in last year’s budget. Even the Liberals’ controversial decision to swiftly hike the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2019 gained widespread approval, with 60 per cent in favour.
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/why-kathleen-wynne-is-still-so-unpopular/