(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party is the most popular federal political leader in British Columbia, according to a poll by Ipsos-Reid. 63 per cent of respondents in the Canadian province approve of Layton’s performance.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party is the most popular federal political leader in British Columbia, according to a poll by Ipsos-Reid. 63 per cent of respondents in the Canadian province approve of Layton’s performance.
Current prime minister and Liberal leader Paul Martin is second on the list with 53 per cent, followed by Conservative leader Stephen Harper with 38 per cent.
Martin took over as Canada’s prime minister in December 2003. In the June 2004 election, the Liberals secured a minority government with 135 seats in the House of Commons. British Columbians elected 22 Conservatives, eight Liberals, five members of the NDP and independent Chuck Cadman to the lower house of Parliament.
Last year, Martin called a public inquiry into the federal sponsorship program—initiated during the tenure of prime minister Jean Chrétien to promote Canada in Quebec—after auditor-general Sheila Fraser concluded that approximately $75 million U.S. of the program’s budget was paid to Liberal-friendly advertising firms for little or no work.
A sitting administration can only be toppled when it loses a vote that deals with confidence or finances. On May 19, the House of Commons accepted a $3.6 billion U.S. amendment to the federal budget—reached after a deal between Martin and Layton—that cancels corporate tax relief and increases social spending. The motion passed after speaker Peter Milliken broke a 152-152 tie by supporting the government.
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of the following politicians?
Approve | Disapprove | |
New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton | 63% | 27% |
Liberal leader and prime minister Paul Martin | 53% | 46% |
Conservative leader Stephen Harper | 38% | 57% |
Source: Ipsos-Reid
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 800 adult British Columbians, conducted from Jun. 8 to Jun. 13, 2005. Margin of error is 3.5 per cent.
