(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The opposition Liberal party is now ahead in Canada’s political scene, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies released by the Toronto Star. 33 per cent of respondents would vote for the Liberals, while 31 per cent would support the governing Conservative party.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The opposition Liberal party is now ahead in Canada’s political scene, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies released by the Toronto Star. 33 per cent of respondents would vote for the Liberals, while 31 per cent would support the governing Conservative party.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) is third with 17 per cent, followed by the Bloc Québécois with nine per cent, and the Green party with seven per cent.
Canadians renewed the House of Commons in October 2008. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 37.6 per cent of the vote, and secured 143 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper assembled a minority administration. The Tories also earned a minority mandate after the 2006 election, ending more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.
In late January, Canadian finance minister Jim Flaherty presented the federal budget, which predicts a $70 billion U.S. budget deficit over the next five years, and includes a $33 billion U.S. economic stimulus package, as well as tax relief aimed at the lower and middle class.
On May 27, Flaherty revealed that the budget deficit would be "substantially more" than originally forecast, adding, "We are going through a deeper economic slowdown than anticipated. (…) We also have the substantial auto payments that are going to be required."
Liberal lawmaker and former finance minister Ralph Goodale criticized Flaherty, declaring, "This is a government that can’t count and as a consequence, Canadians can’t count on them. We believe the government is in a state of deep mismanagement, and that their performance is incompetent."
Polling Data
If a federal election were held tomorrow, which one of the following parties would you be most likely to support in your constituency?
|
May 29 |
Apr. 22 |
Mar. 11 |
Jan. 27 |
|
|
Liberal |
33% |
33% |
31% |
29% |
|
Conservative |
31% |
33% |
35% |
38% |
|
New Democratic Party |
17% |
15% |
16% |
18% |
|
Bloc Québécois |
9% |
10% |
10% |
8% |
|
Green |
7% |
6% |
7% |
6% |
|
Other |
2% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
Source: Angus Reid Strategies / Toronto Star
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,002 Canadian adults, conducted on May 28 and May 29, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
