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Rating for Harper Drops to 28% in Canada
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fewer Canadians are satisfied with the way their prime minister is handling his duties, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 28 per cent of respondents approve of the Stephen Harper’s performance, down four points since December.
In addition, 26 per cent of respondents approve of the way New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton is doing his job, while 17 per cent feel the same way about Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff.
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 Dec. 30, government spokesman Dimitri Soudas announced that the legislative branch would suspend its activities until March 2010, adding, "This is quite routine but it is also important to give Canadians an overview of where we will be taking the country over the next little while." The measure has proven controversial.
On Jan. 10, Harper discussed the country’s economic situation, saying, "Obviously, we’re disappointed that employment is down slightly. It’s never good news, never acceptable when someone loses their job. That said, if you look over the past two or three months, we are seeing stabilization in our labour force."
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.
Polling Data
Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper?
|
Jan. 2010 |
Dec. 2009 |
Nov. 2009 |
|
|
Approve |
28% |
32% |
34% |
|
Disapprove |
51% |
49% |
44% |
|
Not sure |
21% |
18% |
22% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of Liberal and Official Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff?
|
Jan. 2010 |
Dec. 2009 |
Nov. 2009 |
|
|
Approve |
17% |
15% |
12% |
|
Disapprove |
50% |
53% |
56% |
|
Not sure |
32% |
31% |
32% |
Do you approve or disapprove of the performance of New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton?
|
Jan. 2010 |
Dec. 2009 |
Nov. 2009 |
|
|
Approve |
26% |
29% |
24% |
|
Disapprove |
33% |
36% |
40% |
|
Not sure |
40% |
35% |
36% |
Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,077 Canadian adults, conducted on Jan. 12 and Jan. 13, 2010. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.