Albertans for Carney? They're as impressed with new PM as they are with Poilievre: poll

EDITOR'S NOTE: CBC News commissioned this public opinion research to be conducted immediately following the federal election and leading into the second anniversary of the United Conservative Party's provincial election win in May 2023. 

As with all polls, this one provides a snapshot in time. 

This analysis is one in a series of articles from this research.

Alberta's politics are not without their complexity. Here's one striking new example.

While this is a province where many people are newly interested in separating from Canada because the Liberals won — again — and nearly all ridings went Conservative — again — Albertans appear as likely to express admiration for Mark Carney as for Pierre Poilievre.

Yes, Albertans.

A new Janet Brown Opinion Research poll conducted after the federal election for CBC News asked respondents for their impression of the federal Liberal and Conservative leaders, on a 10-point scale, where 0 means deeply unimpressed and 10 means utterly dazzled.

And the results for Carney and Poilievre are nearly identical.

Conservatives won nearly all the seats in the province and 65 per cent of the votes, compared to the Liberals' 28 per cent — far back, even if it was their best performance in Alberta in a half-century.

But the polling data suggests that the number of Albertans who are very impressed with Carney outstrips the number who voted for him. It also suggests that significant numbers of Conservative voters aren't enamoured with their own leader, though some may consider themselves hopeful about the new Liberal prime minister.

Typically, voter choices are largely driven by a party's leader, said John Santos, data scientist for the polling firm. The similarities in Albertans' views of Carney and Poilievre are a striking departure for that norm.

"The parties they lead couldn't have been more far apart in terms of results [in the province]."

Bryndis Whitson ran unsuccessfully for the Liberals in Calgary Signal Hill, finishing 24 points behind Conservative David McKenzie.

But she's been campaigning for Liberals in Calgary since 1997, and said this was the most positivity she ever encountered.