Patience runs thin with Sask. government's handling of health care, cost of living: poll

Since the onset of the pandemic, Saskatchewan residents appear to be increasingly dissatisfied with the province’s handling of affordability and health care, according to a recent Angus Reid Institute poll.

The trend is consistent across most of Canada with 66 per cent of those polled in Saskatchewan saying that cost of living and inflation is their biggest concern, followed by 54 per cent who said health care was their biggest current concern.

When it comes to satisfaction with the province's handling of the two issues, the majority of Saskatchewan residents polled say the government is doing a "very poor" job in both categories.

COST OF LIVING

According to the poll, 60 per cent of Saskatchewan residents asked said the province was doing a “very poor job” of handling affordability concerns.

However, 33 per cent polled said that the province was doing a “very good job,” which was the highest among all 10 provinces, followed by Alberta at 30 per cent.

(Angus Reid Institute)

New Brunswick had the highest amount of residents displeased with that province’s handling of cost of living concerns, with 86 per cent polled admitting they feel a “very poor job” has been done.

Manitoba had the least amount of people polled feeling a very poor job has been done with 51 per cent expressing that opinion.

HEALTH CARE

When it comes to health care, 68 per cent of Saskatchewan residents polled said the province is doing a “very poor job” in that department, on the opposite end of the spectrum 27 per cent felt the province was doing a “very good job.”

(Angus Reid Institute)

Since 2020, the average percentage of people saying the province has done a good job handling health care has dropped from 56 per cent in 2020 to 31 per cent in 2023.

(Angus Reid Institute)

"The one bright spot for [Saskatchewan's] governance is in overall economic management,” an Angus Reid Institute news release said.

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In Saskatchewan, 56 per cent of those polled said the province was doing a good job in economic stewardship throughout 2023. In Alberta, 51 per cent felt the same way followed by 48 per cent in Quebec.

Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey between Nov. 24 and Dec.1, 2023, with a randomized sample of 3,749 adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.

In Saskatchewan, 350 people took part in the online survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus five per cent.