A new poll suggests B.C. Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell's approval rating has hit an all-time low, making him Canada's least popular premier.
A whopping 83 per cent of respondents told Angus Reid Public Opinion they don't trust the premier, with only 12 per cent saying they approve of the job he's doing.
"It's one of the lowest ratings we've ever seen," Angus Reid vice-president Mario Canseco said. "What's interesting is that back in early 2009, out of nine provincial premiers Campbell was number four."
"Now he's the lowest in the country by far."
Only Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach and Quebec Premier Jean Charest come close, Canseco said, with approval ratings of 17 and 18 per cent respectively.
The poll, conducted online from Sept. 8th to 9th, surveyed 805 randomly selected adults from across British Columbia. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 per cent.
More than 70 per cent of those surveyed said their opinion of Campbell has worsened over the last three months, giving a major boost to the opposition NDP.
The poll also found that 48 per cent of British Columbians would vote for the NDP if an election was held tomorrow, and leader Carole James' approval more than doubled Campbell's at 30 per cent.
Despite the alarming poll results, Canseco said the BC Liberal Party could be salvaged by new leadership. "The frustration is really directed towards Campbell and [Finance Minister Colin] Hansen," he said. "The future of the Liberals may depend on finding somebody who hasn't been tainted by the HST."
Several Liberal supporters have already called for Campbell's resignation over the tax, including Steve Forseth, former executive secretary of the Cariboo-Chilcotin riding.
"The provincial government's strategy vis-a-vis the HST and the future of Gordon Campbell is woefully inadequate and needs to change before voters stop listening to us as B.C. Liberals," he wrote on his blog.
Forseth quit his job on Friday, the day after calling on Campbell to step down.
