Wab Kinew remains the most popular premier among the provinces, despite a recent controversy where an NDP MLA was kicked out of caucus.
The premier has a 66 per cent approval rating, an Angus Reid Institute poll released Thursday found. That’s the same level of support reported in June. He had 63 per cent support in March and 57 per cent support in December.
The margin of error was plus or minus 5 per cent in Manitoba.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Premier Wab Kinew, who remains the most popular premier among the provinces, at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Tuesday.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey and Alberta’s Danielle Smith were tied for second in the latest poll, with 46 per cent approval.
The online survey was conducted among a representative randomized sample of 3,985 Canadian adults from Sept. 12 to Wednesday. Fort Garry MLA Mark Wasyliw was booted from caucus Monday, so some of the respondents had likely heard of the decision, and the ensuing backlash, before participating in the poll.
The NDP caucus said the backbencher MLA and criminal defence lawyer was removed because of links with a law firm that represented convicted rapist and disgraced former fashion mogul Peter Nygard. Wasyliw has called the premier a bully in response.
“(Kinew) will bully people instead of trying to build consensus,” Wasyliw said after being removed. “He is very demeaning to staff and MLAs when he talks to them. He will run them down — very disrespectful. The man couldn’t pass a respectful workplace review.”
NDP caucus chairman Mike Moyes told reporters at the legislature Wednesday that the decision to remove Wasyliw, a criminal defence lawyer, from caucus was not solely based on the fact his colleague is defending Nygard in cases in Winnipeg and Toronto. He said it was, “The straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Wasyliw, a former Winnipeg School Division chairman, said the decision had little, if anything, to do with any link to the Nygard case.
“It never really was anything to do with Nygard,” he said. “They were using that as a pretext. What this was, is that they didn’t like me. It was personal, and they wanted me gone.”
Moyes, the MLA for Riel, said caucus leadership has met repeatedly with Wasyliw over the last year to encourage him to be a “strong team player.”
“Unfortunately, he continued to demonstrate a pattern of deceit and disrespect that was harmful to our team,” he said, but would not provide any examples.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca