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According to Meili, the NDP has internal polling that shows his party is competitive. But he did not produce the numbers.
The Saskatchewan Party also declined to reveal its specific polling data when asked on Thursday, but an official party statement claimed its numbers square up closely with what’s showing in the publicly available surveys.
“The trends we are seeing within internal polling and feedback we are receiving on the doorsteps are consistent with the results captured in public opinion polls so far,” the statement said. ” We will continue to work to gain the confidence of Saskatchewan people for the only poll that matters on October 26.”
The NDP’s campaign manager, Trevor McKenzie-Smith, also held his numbers close to his chest. But he said his research shows a tightening race — especially in Regina and Saskatoon.
“The cities are clearly the battlegrounds at the moment, and it’s the voters in those cities that have a choice to make,” he said.
He’s also seeing good news on the relative popularity of the two leaders, a major weak point for his party in the Angus Reid numbers. “Moe’s coming down over the first weeks of the campaign, said McKenzie-Smith. “Ryan Meili is coming up.”
Angus Reid’s survey results show that perceptions of both party leaders have worsened over the campaign, while a Research Co. survey from the weekend suggested Moe is doing better on those trends.
Angus Reid found the NDP was especially weak on economic issues, like growth and taxes. But McKenzie-Smith said his research is showing strong support for NDP policies like a higher minimum wage and Saskatchewan First procurement.
