Out of everybody who had a hand at helping Albertans get back on their feet during the June floods, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's response left the most to be desired, according to a new survey.
The study, which was conducted by Insights West, shows that when compared to other politicians, levels of government, the media and first responders, Harper comes in dead last with 43 per cent of Albertans saying he did a good job and only 13 per cent describing his performance as excellent.
First responders - including search and rescue, fire/police/EMS and military - garnered the highest accolades. According to the survey, 95% of Albertans thought first responders did a good job, while 82 per cent of respondents said the crews' conduct was excellent.
Story continues after slideshow
Alberta Floods From Above
Albertans rated their neighbours and each other second highest. Eighty-four per cent said Albertans behaved well, while 54 per cent described Albertans' actions during the flood as excellent.
Coming in third but finishing first among politicians and levels of government in the survey was Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. Eighty-two per cent of respondents rated his reponse to the flood as good, while 57 per cent rated it as excellent.
“Albertans are definitely satisfied with the way the population, and their political institutions, performed during this crisis,” said Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs at Insights West.
“The numbers are particularly encouraging for Mayor Nenshi, who garners overwhelmingly positive reviews from Calgarians, and will be the first of the three main political leaders to face a test at the ballot box.”
The media came in fourth in the online study, with 80 per cent of Albertans saying news outlets did a good job and 34 per cent calling the coverage excellent.
Municipal governments finished fifth, with 76 per cent rating them as good, while the provincial government came next with 73 per cent of Albertans describing that level of government's effort as good.
She hasn't done that well in polls lately, but 59 per cent of respondents said Alberta Premier Alison Redford did a good job throughout the flood - 16 per cent described her efforts as excellent.
The federal government finished second last in the survey, with 45 per cent of Albertans saying the senior level of government did a good job, while only 11 per cent said they performed in an excellent manner.
The floods claimed lives, homes and livelihoods but it may have also shifted Albertans' way of thinking at a fundamental level, the study states.
"Three in five Albertans (59 per cent) believe climate change played a role in the flood, and a majority (53 per cent) admit that the event, along with other natural disasters that have recently occurred worldwide, has impacted their view of global warming," the survey concludes.
The survey was conducted online between July 9 and 15, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.