November 10, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The governing Conservative party holds a considerable lead in Canada’s federal political scene, according to a poll by Ipsos-Reid released by CanWest Global. 42 per cent of respondents would support the Tories in the next election to the House of Commons.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The governing Conservative party holds a considerable lead in Canada’s federal political scene, according to a poll by Ipsos-Reid released by CanWest Global. 42 per cent of respondents would support the Tories in the next election to the House of Commons.

The Liberal party is second with 28 per cent, followed by the New Democratic Party (NDP) with 15 per cent, the Bloc Québécois with eight per cent, and the Green party with seven per cent. Support for the Tories increased by three points in a week, while backing for the Grits remained stable.

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 Stéphane Dion became the new leader of the Liberals.

On Oct. 12, Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae discussed the creation of a government-appointed panel to study Canada’s participation in the Afghanistan mission—which will be chaired by Liberal member and former deputy prime minister John Manley—declaring, "If the panel serves to encourage an open, public and thoughtful debate about the mission beyond 2009, we support it. (...) There needs to be an open and transparent discussion in NATO as well as in Canada."

On Oct. 30, finance minister Jim Flaherty announced a further reduction in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying, "Canada has emerged as a shining example in an economic universe of rapid change and uncertainty. We are leading the way with our tax cuts, our debt reduction and our focused and responsible spending."

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in the next federal election?

	Nov. 8	Nov. 1	Oct. 11	Jul. 27
Conservative	42%	39%	40%	34%
Liberal	28%	28%	28%	32%
New Democratic Party	15%	13%	16%	17%
Bloc Québécois	8%	12%	8%	10%
Green	7%	7%	7%	8%

Source: Ipsos-Reid / CanWest Global
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Canadian adults, conducted from Nov. 6 to Nov. 8, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.