New poll reveals some key issues for voters in upcoming Sask. election

EXCLUSIVE: What are key issues for Sask. voters? WATCH: Exclusive poll reveals some key issues for voters in upcoming Sask. election.

The most important issues for Saskatchewan voters depends on which party they support, according to a new poll.

CTV News in partnership with Insightrix Research, asked Saskatchewan voters to rank their key issues ahead of the election call.

The most common issues voters across all political stripes ranked in their top three were are healthcare, inflation or rising costs, and taxes.

Healthcare was ranked as the most important issue by 25 per cent of those polled, and in the top three for as many as three in four NDP voters. For undecided voters, the issue is top three for 66 per cent.

“With it being such a tight race, those people who are not sure who they're going to vote for yet, well, what matters most to them, and health care is number one for those people,” Insightrix Research Director Lang McGilp said.

Undecided voters are significantly more interested in inflation and rising costs as the top economic issue compared to taxation, with a 19 per cent difference between the two, although taxes are still a top issue for 38 per cent of undecided voters.

“Both parties are going to need to speak to those two issues in particular to try and bring [undecided voters] out, because we don't see as much of a strong component of education being a concern to that segment of people, it has more to do with healthcare and then some economic stuff,” McGilp added. “One thing I will call out is we also asked this question back in January, in partner with ‘The SKoop’ podcast. And at that time, inflation was at 59 per cent concern and now it's dropped to the low 50s.”

For Saskatchewan Party voters, economic issues reigned supreme with 22 per cent of all respondents ranking inflation and rising costs as their top issue. Another 13 per cent said taxes are their top concern, with 60 per cent of Sask. Party voters ranking it in their top three compared to just 16 per cent of NDP voters.

“Economic factors are of greater importance to people who are choosing to vote for the Sask. Party, whereas health care and education are much more so for NDP voters,” McGilp said. “Healthcare is something that is universal and is highly important regardless of who people are looking to vote for.”

“One of the biggest variances or differences is on that education front,” McGilp added.

Education is a top priority for 56 per cent of NDP voters, compared to 19 per cent of Saskatchewan Party voters and 26 per cent of undecideds.

Rounding out the top five is the economy and jobs, a top issue for a much larger percentage of Sask. Party voters compared to NDP voters at 44 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. Approximately one in four undecided voters also listed it as a top-three issue.

“I think things are looking fairly steady from July to where we are in September in terms of the influence that these topics particularly have, we're maybe seeing a little bit of a decline in concern over the economy, but it's traded off for concern over taxes,” McGilp said.

Other issues ranked in the top-three by 10 per cent or more Saskatchewan Party voters include crime, homelessness and housing, and natural resources.

On the NDP side, homelessness and affordable housing leads the outliers with 26 per cent of voters, followed by mental health and addictions along with climate change.

For undecided voters, other top issues include the economy, crime and homelessness.

The sample size involves 806 adult residents, surveyed online through the Insightrix SaskWatch Research panel, a reflection of the province’s general population through age, gender and region. The research was conducted between Sept. 10 and Sept. 12, with an estimated margin of error of plus-minus 3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The poll was conducted in partnership between CTV News and Insightrix Research.

Saskatchewan’s provincial election must be held on or before Oct. 28.