VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - As if being Canada's most unpopular premier wasn't bad enough, a new poll suggests Gordon Campbell is the least popular premier in BC's history.
The Angus Reid survey found Campbell's approval rating has dropped to a "rock bottom" nine per cent -- making him more unpopular than Bill Vander Zalm or Glen Clark when both were mired in scandal.
"This is the lowest that we've ever seen. Angus Reid has been doing surveys since 1979 and this is the lowest that we've ever seen somebody in this type of survey so this is definitely historic," says Mario Canseco with Angus Reid Public Opinion.
Canseco adds one single issue is to blame. "It's the HST. People are really disappointed with that this happened. Less than one in 10 BC residents right now feel that he is doing a good job so definitely there's nowhere to go but up."
However, the poll also shows voters aren't exactly ready for NDP leader Carole James to become premier either. Even though her party has a 25 point lead over the Liberals, she only has a 27 per cent approval rating.
James says her leadership is on solid ground despite leaked documents, firings and political resignations. She denies a secret NDP plan to join recall campaigns against Liberal MLAs over the HST.
Documents leaked from a party meeting quote NDP president Moe Sihota urging members to take secret recall action. James says the party won't join the recall campaign and she won't stop New Democrats from supporting it individually.
She insists her caucus is united, downplaying the resignation of Revelstoke-area MLA Norm Macdonald as caucus chair over James' decision to fire Quesnel's Bob Simpson for his criticism of her.