(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The popularity of Canadian opposition leader Michael Ignatieff remains extremely low, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 16 per cent of respondents approve of the Liberal Party leader, down three points since February.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The popularity of Canadian opposition leader Michael Ignatieff remains extremely low, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 16 per cent of respondents approve of the Liberal Party leader, down three points since February.
The approval rating for Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper remains stable at 29 per cent. New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton holds higher numbers, at 32 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 December, Michael 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.
Last month, during a G-8 meeting, Harper expressed that Canada wants to advocate for maternal health in developing nations. United States state secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and British foreign secretary David Miliband criticized Harper’s plan for not including policies related to contraception and abortion.
On Mar. 31, Ignatieff chided Harper for "embarrassing" Canada in the international stage, adding, "It’s very rare in Canadian politics, to my memory, to have a Canadian government that takes leadership on the international stage, or tries to, and is thoroughly rebuked not only by the United States but by Great Britain. It’s not a happy picture for Canada."
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper?
|
|
Mar. 2010
|
Feb. 2010
|
Jan. 2010
|
|
Approve
|
29%
|
29%
|
28%
|
|
Disapprove
|
49%
|
50%
|
51%
|
|
Not sure
|
22%
|
23%
|
21%
|
Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of Liberal and Official Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff?
|
|
Mar. 2010
|
Feb. 2010
|
Jan. 2010
|
|
Approve
|
16%
|
19%
|
17%
|
|
Disapprove
|
50%
|
48%
|
50%
|
|
Not sure
|
34%
|
33%
|
32%
|
Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton?
|
|
Mar. 2010
|
Feb. 2010
|
Jan. 2010
|
|
Approve
|
32%
|
36%
|
26%
|
|
Disapprove
|
31%
|
30%
|
33%
|
|
Not sure
|
37%
|
34%
|
40%
|
Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,004 Canadian adults, conducted on Mar. 25 and Mar. 26, 2010. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
