Federal Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre would become prime minister if an election were held today, according to a new survey from the left-leaning Abacus Data.
The survey found that 35% of respondents would vote for the Conservative party, helmed by Poilievre. Another 30% opted for the Liberal party, while 17% chose the NDP and 9% said they would back the Bloc Quebecois.
The poll was conducted after the Conservative leadership results were announced on Sept. 10. Poilievre was crowned leader on the first ballot with 68.15% of the vote — surpassing even the number of votes former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper received when he was elected leader. Harper went on to win three general elections, including one majority government.
Poilievre won the Conservative leadership on promises to tackle the cost of living crisis and to give Canadians control over their lives again.
The poll found that Conservatives have the most support in the prairies; 56% in Alberta and 51% each in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It also found that the Tories would have the upper hand in battleground provinces BC (33%) and Ontario (38%).
The survey also claims 34% of respondents have a negative impression of Poilievre, while 29% have a positive impression. Poilievre’s positives were the highest in Alberta (43%) and lowest in Quebec (21%).
The poll has a margin of error of 2.2% 19 times out of 20.
Poilievre predecessors, Conservative leaders Erin O’Toole and Andrew Scheer, failed to form government in the last two general elections against the Trudeau Liberals.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 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 — which include 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.
The latest survey comes as the #TrudeauMustGo has been trending on Twitter for several days. Canadians have posted stories about how Trudeau’s vaccine mandate has harmed them or their family with the hashtag.
Last week, reports broke that several Liberal MPs hope Trudeau moderates his agenda to be “less woke.”
