(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) holds the lead in British Columbia, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 41 per cent of respondents in the Canadian province would vote for the NDP in next year’s provincial election.

The governing BC Liberals are second with 38 per cent, followed by the Green Party with 14 per cent. Seven per cent of respondents would vote for other parties.

British Columbia voters renewed their provincial legislature in May 2005. Premier Gordon Campbell of the BC Liberals earned a new four-year term in office, with 46 seats. The opposition NDP—led by Carole James—elected 33 lawmakers.

In the 2001 election, the BC Liberals took control of 77 seats, with the remaining two going to the NDP. The New Democrats had administered the westernmost province of Canada under four different premiers since November 1991.

Last month, the BC government implemented a carbon tax, which included a drop in corporate and personal income taxes in order to make the scheme revenue neutral. Campbell defended his decision—claiming that the tax will remove three million tonnes of carbon out of BC’s environment in the next five years—and adding, "We felt it was important for us to think as a generation—to reduce the (carbon) burdens of future generations."

James expressed dissatisfaction with the carbon tax, saying, "[British Columbians] don’t feel it’s fair. They want to do their part for climate change but they want it to be effective. They want a real climate action plan and the gas tax isn’t it."

The next provincial election is scheduled for May 12, 2009.

Polling Data

If a provincial election were held tomorrow in British Columbia, which one of the following parties would you be most likely to support in your constituency?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 802 adults in British Columbia, conducted from Aug. 21 to Aug. 25, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.

Other highlights:

Preferred Premier: Carole James 33%, Gordon Campbell 31%, Not sure 34%
Momentum Score: Gordon Campbell -45, Carole James -5
58% per cent believe it is time for a change of government in British Columbia; 29% think the BC Liberals should be re-elected

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