Premier Smith’s approval up; third of Albertans oppose handling of U.S. tariff threat, poll says

A new Leger poll says Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s approval rating is up, but a third of Albertans oppose her handling of the U.S. tariff threat, and over half don’t support an Alberta Pension Plan.

The poll released Thursday shows the premier’s approval rating climbed to 46 per cent after it fell to 39 per cent in August 2024. Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi, the second most popular leader, saw a slight dip in his approval rating, a two-point drop to 37 per cent.

Smith’s handling of the U.S. threat of tariffs was also on the table, and a little over a third disapproved of her handling of the issue at 36 per cent, though only a percentage point separates those who approve at 35 per cent.

When it comes to the government itself, 38 per cent of Albertans approve while the same percentage disapproves.

On the Alberta Pension Plan, with the government survey results yet to see the light of day, multiple polls have shown many Albertans preferring to stick with the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP).

And it was clear in the Leger poll as well, with 55 per cent saying they do not support the plan, a two per cent increase from 53 per cent in August 2024. Only 23 per cent support the idea, while 22 per cent “don’t know.”

That 2023 government survey saw over 94,000 Albertans enrolled and was panned for not providing a choice opposing the idea of leaving the CPP.

The results of the poll were released before allegations of sweetheart deals, specifically the procurement and contracting processes of Alberta Health Services — which she insists she’s done nothing wrong.

Albertans’ thoughts on top issues and government approval

Healthcare topped the list of issues Albertans found to be the most important, followed by inflation, housing, the economy, and the threat of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

When it comes to the government’s handling of top issues, approval ratings vary from 22-55 per cent depending on the issue.

For starters, 52 per cent approve of the United Conservative government’s response to wildfire evacuations, 48 per cent approve of its handling of energy, and 41 per cent approve of its handling of the federal government. However, 43 per cent of respondents disapprove of the Alberta government’s handling of relations with Ottawa.

And while there were slight upticks in approval for several issues, there were increased disapproval ratings across the board, with most Albertans disapproving of the government’s response in most cases.

Housing prices/affordability, homelessness, and poverty, saw Albertan’s disapproval sitting at over 50 per cent, with the former at 59 per cent, the highest disapproval of any issue. Approval for those three is 25, 22, and 22 per cent respectively.

Relations with municipal governments, jobs, education, crime, taxes, and the budget saw the majority of respondents disapprove of the government’s response on those issues. Forty-six per cent disapprove of its handling of the economy, and 41 per cent disapprove of how it handles the environment and climate change.

Its handling of the opioid crisis and cleaning up of orphaned or abandoned oil and gas wells were among the higher disapproval ratings, both having 46 and 39 per cent respectively, with approval being 28 and 27 per cent.

Meanwhile, 51 per cent believe the province is on the wrong track, though that rating dropped by one point from 52 per cent in August 2024, while 40 per cent believe it’s on the right track.

Lastly, nearly two-thirds of Albertans prefer the Canadian Conservative Party, while the federal NDP ranks second, and the Liberals follow behind.

The sample size was 1,005 respondents, who responded to the survey from Jan. 24-26.

The poll can be accessed online here.