Two weeks into Pierre Poilievre’s leadership of the federal Conservatives, the party has a seven-point lead over the Trudeau Liberals — and is attracting voters who opted for the People’s Party of Canada in the last federal election, according to a new poll.
The Conservatives advantage in vote intent over the Liberals is the highest in more than three years, according to the non-profit Angus Reid Institute.
Among leaning and decided voters, 37% of respondents said they would choose the Tories, while 30% chose the federal Liberals.
Another 20% opted for the NDP, 7% chose the Bloc, 3% chose the Greens, and 1% chose the People’s Party of Canada or another party.
Angus Reid’s online survey was conducted from Sept. 19 – 22 among 5,014 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum.
In the last federal election, 5% of Canadians voted for the People’s party, helmed by Harper-era cabinet minister Maxime Bernier. Three-quarters of those voters now say they would now support the Conservatives.
The survey also found that Poilievre is the best choice to lead on critical issues like managing the federal deficit, economic growth and the cost of living.
Poilievre won the Conservative leadership on promises to tackle the cost of living crisis and to give Canadians control over their lives again.
Meanwhile, Trudeau is the preferred choice to lead Canada on the world stage, a social safety net, climate change policy and health care.
Regarding the personal appeal of Trudeau and Poilievre, women are far more likely to approve of Trudeau’s performance (47% vs 32%). However, when asked about Poilievre, 45% of men view him favourably, compared to just 26% of women.
The Conservatives are the top choice among all male age groups and no female age groups. Women younger than 35 prefer the NDP, while those older than 34 prefer the Liberals.
For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Trudeau has said he plans to stay on as leader of the Liberal Party for the next federal election despite his unpopularity.
According to the Toronto Star, Trudeau told his cabinet ministers at their Vancouver retreat that he looks forward to winning a fourth term as prime minister. Trudeau reportedly said he’s energized to face the challenges in Canada, including a massive cost of living crisis spurred partly by his reckless use of the government coffers.
In August, Abacus data found that approval for the Trudeau government dropped to its lowest point since he became prime minister in 2015. The poll found that 51% of Canadians disapprove of the Trudeau government’s performance and 51% have a negative view of Trudeau — the highest number recorded.
