Smith's approval rating hits all-time low at 39 percent

Premier Danielle Smith's approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 39 percent, according to an Angus Reid survey released Thursday.

The seven-point drop from her previous polling marks the steepest decline since she was elected. Her approval had been hovering in the mid-40s until recently, and peaked at 51 percent in June 2025.

The survey attributes the decline to governance fatigue, economic pressure, and the ongoing separation debate. Among those who voted for Smith's United Conservative Party in the last election, seven in 10 still approve of her leadership, but broader dissatisfaction is evident.

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi said at a press conference Thursday that Albertans are tired of what he called the premier's "endless distractions" and "endless culture wars." He pointed to the separation referendum as a key source of frustration.

Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said Smith is "struggling to respond and keep up with the criticism she's facing," both within Alberta and from other provincial leaders. The public backlash extended to a Western Premiers' Conference where Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew disagreed with Smith over a court ruling on citizen-initiated petitions.

Smith has touted the province's employment growth and other economic achievements, but the new polling suggests those successes aren't offsetting the political cost of the separation debate.