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Mainstreet president Quito Maggi said the numbers don’t necessarily come as a surprise, given the economic pressures that faced the governing NDP almost immediately after its election victory in May 2015. But he noted should the economy rebound, it may buoy the party’s hopes if it can begin to show some progress.

“I think people are seeing this government is at least making an effort to balance the budget,” he said. “On the surface, people will believe the government is making all efforts to execute that plan and, at least in the short-term, they’re going to believe them.

“If, as expected, oil goes up $10 a barrel that will matter, as will some investment and jobs coming back and people starting to see shovels in the ground on some popular projects.”

The responses vary by region, with Edmonton showing the most patience for the government. Some 41 per cent in the capital city feel the NDP’s response to the economy has been poor, compared to 52 per cent in Calgary. In terms of how quickly the government is moving to slay the deficit, only 34 per cent of Edmontonians felt they were moving too slowly, compared to half of all Calgarians polled.

Respondents in the rest of Alberta were significantly less confident on both fronts, the survey found.

As far as budget priorities go, 35 per cent believe lowering taxes is most important, followed by reducing spending to lower the government’s deficit, with 24 per cent deeming it a priority. Beyond that, another 18 per cent feel health and education spending should be the government’s primary focus, with 12 per cent wanting to see more investment in public infrastructure.