Mayor's approval rating plummets: exclusive poll

A drastic shift in public support has sent Mayor David Miller’s approval ratings plummeting to record lows.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years in the city,” said Ipsos-Reid pollster John Wright. “I have never seen political numbers like this, ever.”

A poll conducted exclusively for Global News found the Mayor’s approval rating is an abysmal 29%. Toronto City Council, as a whole, fares even worse at just 27%.

The Ipsos-Reid poll of nearly 500 Torontonians was conducted two weeks after the municipal workers strike.

In a one-on-one interview with Global News, the Mayor questioned the timing of the survey.

“I think you did a poll immediately after a really unpopular and unnecessary strike, and (the numbers) reflect that,” said Miller.

While Miller dismissed the numbers, they could prove problematic.

The next municipal election is little more than a year away, and Wright warns the city is hungry for change.

“(Torontonians) basically want to clean house,” he said.

“They want the mayor and the city council gone.”

The numbers may also play into the hands of potential mayoral contenders, including Deputy Premier George Smitherman, who Tuesday suggested he’s considering a run for Mayor in 2010.

The poll asked voters what they would like to see happen in the next municipal election.

79% said its time for someone else to be chosen as mayor.

When asked about the results, Miller again responded that “after a strike, nobody is surprised that people are concerned.”