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But Kurl said other issues, such as the contentious farm workers safety bill that sparked rural protests in December or the royalty review, have also taken a political toll.

She notes that in neighbouring Saskatchewan — another province battered by falling oil prices — Brad Wall continues to be the most popular premier in the country with a 62 per cent approval rating, up slightly from the prior quarter.

The latest Angus Reid Institute poll pegs Notley’s disapproval rating at 56 per cent, while 10 per cent of respondents say they’re unsure.

Kurl said it appears an ideological gulf between the new government and some Albertans is affecting their view of the premier.

“Albertans don’t normally tilt toward the NDP and now you have an NDP government at the helm of a generally deeply conservative province in a time of crisis,” she added.

“When you combine that with some of the fumbles and missteps … it certainly feeds into a bit of a narrative, which is there’s a bit of disconnect right now between the premier, the party and the people of Alberta.”

But political scientist Duane Bratt of Mount Royal University said Notley’s popularity has been falling in lockstep with oil prices that have been cut in half since her election last May.

Unlike Saskatchewan’s Wall, who had built up a reservoir of goodwill with voters years before the economy slowed, Alberta’s new premier has been facing constant problems created by the downturn, Bratt said.