(11/22/09) -

Harper Stable, Ignatieff Low in Canada

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Public support for Stephen Harper remains steady in Canada, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 34 per cent of respondents approve of the prime minister’s performance.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Public support for Stephen Harper remains steady in Canada, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 34 per cent of respondents approve of the prime minister’s performance.

Only 12 per cent of respondents approve of the way of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff is doing his job, and 24 per cent are satisfied with the performance of New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton.

Canadians renewed the House of Commons in October 2008. The Conservative party—led by 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 December, Ignatieff took over as Liberal leader, replacing Stéphane Dion.

Layton became the NDP’s leader in January 2003. He was elected to the House of Commons in June 2004, winning the Toronto-Danforth constituency.

On Sept. 1, Ignatieff declared that the Liberals will no longer support the Conservative minority administration in the House of Commons.

The next election to the House of Commons is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 15, 2012. Sitting prime ministers can dissolve Parliament and call an early ballot at their discretion. In order to trigger an election, all three opposition parties in the House of Commons—Liberals, NDP and Bloc—would have to defeat the government in a no-confidence motion.

On Nov. 14, Harper discussed his views on the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, saying, "We’re in the middle of an economic recession, so obviously everybody’s also concerned about the impact of that on their economies. And every leader and every country is trying to get an agreement that will be effective without imposing too heavy a burden on the economy that he or her is responsible for."

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper?

Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of Liberal and Official Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff?

Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton?

Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,005 Canadian adults, conducted from Nov, 14 to Nov. 16, 2009. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

Complete Poll (PDF)