Ahead of the first speech by Nova Scotia’s Prime Minister Tim Houston to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, a new study suggests there may be significant skepticism about his government’s ability to “fix” health care.
PC Party candidates fulfilled this promise from the opposition in the government during last summer’s elections.
A survey published Monday by an Ontario-based research firm found that only four in 10 Nova Scotians were generally satisfied with the Houston government’s governance, while the other 60 percent were either dissatisfied or unsure of the direction. which Nova Scotia is run by the government. .
Despite this lukewarm support, the survey found that Houston, which will deliver its annual state speech on Tuesday, enjoys a dominant advantage over its political rivals in a positive image and that computers remain popular enough to win another majority. .
“They did not make any critical mistakes, losing the support of people who voted for computers, feeling that they did not, but it shows that there are [are] Stormy waters are ahead, “said David Coletto, chief executive of Abacus Data, the polling firm that conducted the online survey.
David Colette is the CEO of Abacus Data. (Blair Gable / Abacus Data)
These stormy seas are related to the PC’s main election promise – “improving healthcare” – and how respondents feel about it.
In the study, three times more people believe that computers are not making progress or less than expected progress in improving health care than those who see improvement.
Perhaps equally worrying was the feeling among many respondents that the Houston government would not keep its promise to “fix” the health care system.
Only 10 percent said it “definitely can happen,” while 43 percent said it “probably can.” The other 46 percent said they either can’t or “definitely” can’t.
This feeling may explain why, on the day his government released its plan to improve health care, Houston used different words to describe the ultimate goal.
“Correction is a very subjective word,” Houston said on April 22. “This is in the eyes of the observer. I have used it before. We will make significant improvements in healthcare. And for many people in their specific situations, this will be a solution.”
Prime Minister Tim Houston spoke to reporters at Province House on April 22, the day his government announced its health plan. (Robert Short / CBC)
Koleto said the change seems to be Houston’s attempt to manage the expectations of the New Scots.
“When people believe and vote for you for a single promise and now you start to step back a little bit, it can be a challenge for a government,” he said. “And this is a difficult question.
“There is no doubt that fixing the health system is not an easy decision. But people are waiting for action.
“I think this government is likely to live or die, or prosper, or be driven by a sense of whether it can improve the system.
Abacus Data conducted the online survey for a week beginning on April 14, with 500 newcomers aged 18 and over being invited to participate in the survey. Participants were selected to reflect the geographical and demographic composition of the province. The margin of error for this type of survey with this sample size is plus or minus 4.4, 19 times out of 20.
The survey was paid for by Abacus Data and Summa Strategies, an Ottawa-based public relations and lobbying firm.
Increase the cost of living
The purpose of the survey was to try to assess how respondents felt about the first eight months in power of the Houston government and the challenges facing the province.
Healthcare was the most important issue and was also at the top of the government’s list of top priorities. Other key issues for the government include rising living costs, housing affordability, tackling COVID-19 and the price of electricity.
In the last elections and again during the spring session, the NDP protected those who are struggling with the high cost of housing.
Since then, the Houston government has made it one of its priorities and has taken steps to try to increase the number of new homes, especially in the Halifax region.
During the WFP meeting, the New Democrats and Liberals also called on the government to do more to help those struggling with rising food and fuel costs.
Liberal Leadership candidate Zack Churchill also made accessibility a key issue in his campaign to replace Ian Rankin as party leader.
These are all indications that opposition parties may have heard what sociologists see in this survey – that there are growing concerns among Nova Scotians about rising daily spending.
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