By Rachel Emmanuel

September 13, 2022

-True North

 

If a provincial election were held today, the United Conservative Party (UCP) would win, according to a new Mainstreet Research poll commissioned for the Western Standard.

The poll was conducted from September 7-8 among 1,247 voting-age adults living in Alberta.

Respondents were asked which provincial party they would vote for if an election were held today.

Among decided voters, the UCP was the favourite with 42%, followed by the NDP with 38%. Another 5% chose the Wildrose Independent, 5% chose the Alberta Liberal Party, 4% chose the Alberta Party and 2% chose the Alberta Green Party.

Alberta’s next general election will be held in spring 2023. The UCP is polling ahead despite respondents not yet knowing who will lead the party in the election.

A leadership race has been ongoing since Premier Jason Kenney announced his intentions to resign after barely surviving a leadership review in May. Party members have already begun receiving their mail-in ballots, and a new leader will be elected on October 6.

The survey also found that leadership candidate Danielle Smith looks poised to win the Premiership with 44% support of party backers.

Another 20% said they backed Brian Jean in the leadership race, followed by former finance minister Travis Toews with 19%, and 7% for Todd Loewen. Rebecca Schulz received 6%, Leela Aheer had 3%, and Rajan Sawhney had 1%.

Smith has positioned herself as an Alberta-first candidate, who will seek to restrict federal legislation deemed harmful to the province through the Alberta Sovereignty Act.

Interestingly, most respondents don’t support her proposal.

Asked whether they support the proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act, 41% of respondents said they don’t, while 34% said they do. Another 25% said they’re unsure.

Among UCP members, support for the Sovereignty Act rises to 63%.

Smith has also promised to resist pressure to re-introduce lockdowns and other Covid-19 restrictions, if elected.

When asked whether they support the Freedom Convoy, 48% of respondents said they did not, while 39% of respondents said they did support the movement to end Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.

It also appears most Albertans prefer alternative and independent media sources. Of the respondents, 42% prefer alternative media sources, while 33% rely on mainstream media sources. Another 26% said they were not sure.

The survey was conducted using automated telephone interviews Respondents

were interviewed on landlines and cellular phones.

The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 2.8% at the 95% confidence level.

UCP would win election if h… by True North

c. TRUE NORTH