1/8/2007 5:30:04 PM Conservatives and Liberals now virtually tied for voter support, with the Green Party making gains. OTTAWA: : As 2006 drew to a close, the battle for Canadian voters narrowed, with the opposition Liberals now trailing the Conservatives by two percentage points according to a new survey by the Environics Research Group conducted in December 2006. Party Support. Among decided Canadian voters, 34 percent would support the Conservative party if an election was held today, compared with 32 percent who would vote for the Liberal party. These latest shifts reflect a trend that began after March, when the Conservative support almost doubled that of the Liberals (41% to 22%). The other noticeable trend is the continued growth in support for the Green Party (now at 11%, up 4 since Sept-October, and up 7 since June). Over the same period, support for the New Democratic Party has declined to 14 percent of Canadian voters (down 4 points since Sept-October, and down 7 points since June). Support for the Bloc Québécois in Quebec is stable at 36 percent (down 2 points since Sept-October). Fewer than one in ten (8%) voters is currently undecided about which party might deserve his or her support. Best Party Leader. When asked to identify which major party leader would make the best Prime Minister, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper enjoys a clear lead at 34 percent. Newly-selected Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion is the first choice of 23 percent, while 16 percent choose Jack Layton. In Quebec, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe is the choice of 24% (compared with 21% for Stephen Harper and 20% for Stephane Dion). Leader Approval. All of the major party leaders receive a solid public endorsement for their performance. Just over half of Canadians voice approval of the job being done by both Prime Minister Stephen Harper (53%) and NDP Leader Jack Layton (53%), both unchanged since Sept-Oct. New Liberal Leader Stephane Dion receives the approval of 47 percent, while Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe is seen as doing a good job by 56 percent of Quebecers, down from 62 percent in Sept.-Oct. For further information, please contact: Keith Neuman, Ph.D., Group Vice President – Public Affairs, Environics Research Group (613) 230-5089 keith.neuman@environics.ca Methodology These results are taken from an Environics survey of 2,045 Canadians aged 18 and older, conducted in English and French between December 8 and 30, 2006. On a national basis, these results are accurate to within +/-2.2 percentage points, in 95 out of 100 samples. Questions (English): If a Canadian federal election were held today, which one of the following parties would you vote for [ROTATE PARTIES] the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party, [Quebec Only] the Bloc Québécois, the Green Party, or another party?* [If "Undecided" ask] Perhaps you have not yet made up your mind; is there nevertheless a party you might be inclined to support? In your opinion, which one of the following party leaders would make the best Prime Minister of Canada? [READ AND ROTATE] Stephen Harper, Stéphane Dion, Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe Please tell me if you approve or disapprove of the way the following leaders are doing their jobs: [READ AND ROTATE] Prime Minister Stephen Harper, new Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, NDP Leader Jack Layton, or Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe? *Beginning with this quarter, Focus Canada is including the Green Party in the list of choices offered respondents when asking which party they would be inclined to support if an election were held "today." This party has become sufficiently established with an appreciable number of Canadian voters, and with the Canadian media, to warrant this change. It is notable that this party: a) increased its share of the vote over the past two elections and now qualifies for public financing through Elections Canada; b) was competitive in the recent Ontario by-election, finishing second, ahead of two of the other major parties; and c) has a new leader who has been successful in gaining a public spotlight in the national media. Finally, the rise of the environment as a major national issue on which the next election will be fought makes it likely that the Green Party will receive added attention by the national media, if not by voters. [ Latest News Articles ]       [ View Past Articles ]