Posted on 05/11/2006 11:21:34 AM PDT by Clive
OTTAWA - With the first federal budget under their belt, the Conservatives are enjoying a 10-point lead over their Liberal rivals, a new poll has found.
The Sun Media-SES Research survey shows Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tories now have the support of 38% of Canadians, compared to 28% for the Grits. The NDP has the support of 19% of Canadians, while the Bloc Quebecois has 9% and the Green Party 6%.
The national poll of 930 Canadians on May 9 revealed a five-point climb for the Conservatives in the last three months since Feb. 9. The survey of committed voters is accurate within 3.2%, 19 times out of 20.
The poll also showed support moving from the Liberals to the NDP in Ontario, where the Grits dropped five points to 34% and the NDP rose 3% to 24%. A similar pattern emerged in the West, where the Liberals slipped four points to 28% and the NDP gained three points to 23%.
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(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
This has been amazing to watch unfold. Seems like just over a year ago, it was the Conservatives that were in disarray. One then wondered if they could EVER get it together.
What a difference a year and Stephan Harper have made.
Canada ping.
Please FReepmail me to get on or off this ping list.
But everyone wants to be leader of the Grits, from ex-goalie Ken Dryden to Bill Clinton's rumored girlfriend, Belinda Stronach.
Do you think it's an issue of the plastic platform of the Liberal party, or do you think the electroate is becoming more polarized? In other words, are a good number of Liberal supporters drifting farther to the left, hence are more attracted to the NDP? If that is the case, the Tories will be in power for some time. Two parties splitting the left wing vote is good political news for the Tories. But are there also a number of more centrist Liberal supporters who are feeling abandoned by the Liberal leftward drift, much in the same way many centrist Democrats in the south feel the party is abandoning them?
Let's hope there isn't. I, for one, won't miss them. And with people like Hedy Fry running for leadership, they could be all but finished.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
I'm originally from Canada so I'm very familiar with party politics and how, in many cases, you are born into a party, kind of like how some people are born into a religion. But your observations of recent events are very telling. The Liberals seem to be heading down the European socialist path while under Martin and Cretien. It seems like the direction of the party will be based largely on who can lead that herd of cats effectively.
The lead we have over the Liberals is a lot bigger than 10 points IMO.
I think so too.
The trouble is that conservative support tends to be a mile wide and an inch thick whereas liberal support tends to concentrate in major cities with many ridings so their share of the popular vote tends to win them more ridings.
The solution may be the exurban voter. This growing class includes many people who have become fed up with the urban culture and, while not taking up farming, have departed the mega cities for exurban communities and in the process have begun to shed the urban collectivist and socialist mentality.
Never saw that coming... ;') Of course, after the new governor is sworn in in Lansing early next year, there'll be one more absentee vote across the border...
This minority government has so far been quite good.
So PM Harper should soon have choices on his issues in Parliament and it seems he can also trigger the next election on an issue of his own choice and in his own good time.
Also IIRC, the election timing option could be voided if the Conservatives enact legislation that mandates regularly scheduled elections.
It will be interesting to see if the NDP eventually overtakes the Liberals. That would surely spell the end of the Liberals as a political force.
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