Alberta NDP has slight lead over UCP: Leger poll

In the lead-up to the provincial election in May, a new poll says the Alberta NDP has a slight edge over the United Conservative Party (UCP), while Calgarians show more support for the UCP.

Respondents to the Leger poll published Thursday say if an election were held today, 47 per cent would go for the NDP, while 43 per cent would vote for the current party in power.

According to another poll, Calgary is a battleground for the two parties as Edmonton has largely been held by Rachel Notley, while rural Alberta tends to vote for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

This continues to be the case, with Edmontonians saying they would vote for the NDP with 61 per cent over 32 per cent for the UCP. Just over 50 per cent of rural Albertans say they would vote for Smith.

With the latest poll, 47 per cent of Calgarians would vote blue compared to 42 per cent saying they would vote orange.

In addition, 34 per cent of respondents say Notley would “make the best Premier of Alberta,” over Smith’s 29 per cent. About 24 per cent are undecided.

The other contenders, The Alberta Party, the Liberal Party, the Wildrose Independence Party, and “some other party,” combine for seven per cent. Sixteen per cent don’t know or prefer not to answer.

Meanwhile, the poll also notes that 53 per cent of Albertans “feel that things are currently going in the wrong direction,” with more than one-third feeling very strongly about the statement.

Edmontonians, those under the age of 35, and women are more concerned than the average, sitting at 64 per cent, 62 per cent, and 57 per cent respectively.

Thirty-nine per cent of respondents in Calgary feel the province is going in the right direction, while 45 per cent of rural Albertans feel the same way.

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In addition to asking respondents about the upcoming election, Leger also asked the 1,002-person group, through an online survey, about free speech on campuses, and “most support free speech on campus” at 81 per cent.

The questions on the poll come as the province announced in early February that post-secondary institutions must provide yearly reports on efforts to protect free speech on campus.

There is also a downward trend in government support for how it handled various issues, with respondents saying the government is doing a “poor job.”

Fifty-one per cent of respondents say the government is doing a poor job when it comes to health care, and the same number is the case for the government response on addressing issues like inflation.