HARPER’S MANY DETRACTORS CAN’T FIND A CHAMPION

[Ottawa – February 25, 2010] - Stephen Harper has a couple of things going for him, according to a new EKOS poll on political leadership: Conservative supporters approve strongly of his job performance, and though most other Canadians may not, they haven’t found anyone to rally around.

The poll, conducted for release by the CBC program Power and Politics, shows that more than half of Canadians disapprove of the way the prime minister is doing his job.  That’s substantially worse than the last time EKOS asked the question in mid-autumn.

Just 33% of Canadians approve of… [More...]

Posted on February 25th, 2010 under National Results. Comments: 7

LIBS STALL/TORIES RISE

[Ottawa – February 25, 2010] - After several weeks in which Canada’s two major parties have been neck-and-neck, Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have opened up a three percentage point lead over the Liberals. The shift, though small, puts the Conservatives back in comfortable minority-government territory if an election were held.

“The Liberals rode the dissatisfaction with the government over Afghan detainees, Copenhagen and prorogation back into contention after what was for them a disastrous early fall,” said EKOS President Frank Graves. “However, they have not had been able to find the leadership or the message to build on that momentum… [More...]

Posted on February 25th, 2010 under National Results. Comments: 5

NEITHER PARTY MUSTERS EVEN A THIRD OF CANADIANS

[Ottawa – February 18, 2010] - The dramatic movement in the fortunes of Canada’s two leading parties over the last four months seems to have come to an end, with neither able to muster even a third of Canadians in support. The Conservatives retain a narrow lead over the second-place Liberals who are too feeble at the moment to overtake a governing party that is mired at 31% support.

“It is extremely unusual for no party to command even a third of the electorate over many weeks, which is the situation we have now,”… [More...]

Posted on February 18th, 2010 under National Results. Comments: 3

QUEBECKERS STRONGEST ADVOCATES OF SPENDING CUTS

[Ottawa – February 11, 2010] – Canadians seem to want the federal government to take on the deficit, and to do it through spending cuts.

In response to a viewer-suggested question on the CBC program Power and Politics, EKOS surveyed more than three thousand Canadians on the question, which will be on the top of the political agenda when the government introduces its budget after the Olympics.

First, the viewer wanted us to ask Canadians whether they had heard of the recent report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, Kevin Page, which projected Canada would run a deficit… [More...]

Posted on February 11th, 2010 under National Results. Comments: 2

OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS WANT EARLY ELECTION; TORY SUPPORTERS WANT TO WAIT

[Ottawa – February 11, 2010] - The federal Conservatives have gotten a small reprieve in this week’s EKOS poll, after months of sliding backwards, then into a tie with the Liberal Party. The Conservatives now have a small, but statistically significant lead over their chief opposition rival.

“The Conservatives should be heartened by the fact that the bleeding has clearly stopped and that the issues of Afghan detainees and prorogation have exhausted themselves,” said EKOS President, Frank Graves. “However, a growing plurality of Canadians now feel the government is headed in the… [More...]

Posted on February 11th, 2010 under National Results. Comments: 3