Support for the B.C. Liberals continues to drop, according to a Vancouver pollster. A poll by Mustel Group Marketing Research has the Liberals with just 32 per cent support. That's down from 35 per cent in a November 2009 poll and 46 per cent during the last election.
The numbers are even worse for B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.
"Sixty-one per cent are disapproving of the performance of the premier. In contrast, only 28 per cent are approving," pollster Evi Mustel told CTV News. "That's quite a gap."
Mustel chalks up the decline to the harmonized sales tax.
"Well definitely the HST is really the key issue," said Mustel. "We track on an ongoing basis what's the key issue of concern to voters. It's the first time taxes as a category has really been the number one issue."
Support has dropped in former Liberal strongholds like Kelowna. The Liberals can only take heart in the fact that the next election is still three years away.
"Well this is a tough time for the government, having made decisions--and a decision in particular –that has elicited a response from the public," said B.C. Attorney General Mike de Jong.
Last week, Campbell made comments that raised doubts about his future.
"I'm 62 years old so I'll have an opportunity to consider that, but first I've got to make sure we get our economy thriving," said Campbell when asked by CTV News about his plans for 2013.
The anti-HST campaign has gained momentum as hundreds of thousands of British Columbians have signed an anti-HST petition.
Ultimately, the anti-HST campaign may not get the new tax repealed, but it may help defeat the government that implemented it.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat
