(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The Conservative party has extended its lead in Canada, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies released by the Toronto Star. 40 per cent of respondents would vote for the Tories in next month’s election to the House of Commons, up two points in a week.

The Liberal party and the New Democratic Party (NDP) are tied for second with 21 per cent each, followed by the Bloc Québécois with 10 per cent, and the Green party with seven per cent. Support for the Grits fell by three points, while backing for the NDP increased by two points.

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 formed 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 Sept. 26, NDP leader Jack Layton discussed his chances, saying, "I remember people who said to Tommy Douglas that medicare couldn’t be done and I am suggesting to people they shouldn’t listen to anyone who says that an NDP prime minister isn’t possible. (...) I’ve been in sailing races in the past and you are sometimes way behind and then the wind picks up and you’ve made the right decision and, by golly, you win the race. And that is what we are doing in our election."

The next federal election in Canada is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Polling Data

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

Source: Angus Reid Strategies / Toronto Star
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,508 Canadian adults, conducted on Sept. 24 and Sept. 25, 2008. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.

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