(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many adults in Canada—as well as supporters of the Liberal party—believe Stéphane Dion will not be able to serve as the country’s head of government, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 69 per cent of national respondents—and 66 per cent of those who voted for the Grits in the 2006 federal election—think Dion will probably never form a government as leader.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many adults in Canada—as well as supporters of the Liberal party—believe Stéphane Dion will not be able to serve as the country’s head of government, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 69 per cent of national respondents—and 66 per cent of those who voted for the Grits in the 2006 federal election—think Dion will probably never form a government as leader.
In addition, 32 per cent of respondents expect the Liberals to remain as Canada’s official opposition for the next five years, 26 per cent believe the party will grow stronger and once again form the federal government, and 25 per cent expect the Grits to grow weaker and lose their role as the official opposition.
Canadians renewed the House of Commons in January 2006. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 36.3 per cent of the vote, and secured 124 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper leads a minority administration after more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.
In December 2006, former environment minister Dion became the new leader of the Liberals, defeating academic Michael Ignatieff in the fourth and final delegate ballot with 54.7 per cent.
Last month, the Liberal party was unable to win a seat in three House of Commons by-elections that took place in Quebec. Dion declared: "From this defeat, we can learn something and work together as a united party. (…) We will win (the next federal election). At that point, we will look back on this night of Sept. 17 and say: ‘We Liberals had the strength to overcome a difficult period’."
On Oct. 9, Dion discussed his views on the possibility of an early election—which could be triggered if the Conservative government loses a confidence vote in the House—saying, "As opposition leader, I know that the large majority of Canadians do not want a federal election right away. (…) I want the current Parliament to start working and do something productive. (…) If we are forced into an election it will be Stephen Harper’s fault. The Liberals will give them a fight they will regret having started."
Polling Data
Which of these statements comes closer to your own point of view?
|
All |
Lib. |
|
|
Stéphane Dion will probably never form a government as leader |
69% |
66% |
|
Stéphane Dion will eventually triumph and become Prime Minister |
9% |
18% |
|
Not sure |
22% |
16% |
What do you think will happen to the Liberal Party within the next five years?
|
All |
Lib. |
|
|
The Liberal Party will grow stronger, and will once again form the federal government |
26% |
54% |
|
The Liberal Party will remain as it is now, as Canada’s official opposition |
32% |
29% |
|
The Liberal Party will grow weaker, and lose its role as the official opposition |
25% |
8% |
|
Not sure |
18% |
9% |
Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,019 Canadian adults, conducted on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4, 2007. Margin of error is 3.0 per cent.
Other poll highlights: 58 per cent of respondents think the Liberal party has weakened over the past year, 46 per cent believe the Liberal party remains relevant in Canada at this time, 49 per cent think it is important for Canada to have a strong Liberal party, 44 per cent think the Liberal party has lost influence because of both the sponsorship scandal and the leadership of Dion.
Complete Poll (PDF)
