NDP making huge gains as Canada tilts leftward
The Canadian public is on a distinct tilt to the left, says a new national public opinion poll, suggesting concern over wealth distribution has traction beyond the Occupy tents and protest parades.
The nationwide poll suggests the New Democratic Party would form a minority federal government if this were election day and a strong majority of Canadians believe the country suffers from an income gap, where the rich are getting too rich and the poor are getting too poor.
The wide-ranging Forum Poll for the National Post sought the opinions of a sample of Canadians of voting age and found the NDP was the declared preference of more than one-third, compared to less than one-third who chose the Conservative Party and one-fifth the Liberal Party.
The voting intentions, if actual ballots, would translate into a minority government for the NDP, says Forum Research Inc.’s president Lorne Bozinoff.
The NDP would capture 138 seats in the 308-seat parliament, up from the 103 they currently hold. The Conservatives, who won a majority government last election with 166 seats, would be reduced to 123 seats. The Liberals would take 42 seats, a poor showing but still considerably better than the 34 they took in the last election, the poll suggests.
“A lot of what we see and hear about these days is the ’1%’ versus the ’99%’ and this poll is a perfect reflection of that,” Mr. Bozinoff said.
“I think this suggests a longterm trend and the Conservatives are at the wrong end of that long-term trend.”
Conservative support was highest in Alberta and lowest in Quebec. The Liberals’ support was highest in households with incomes above $100,000.
Tom Mulcair, the NDP leader, also captured the highest approval rating among national party leaders, with 41% of those polled giving him a positive rating. Stephen Harper, the Conservative prime minister, was given a nod of approval by 33%, the same as Liberal leader Bob Rae.
By far the most polarizing leader was Mr. Harper. When the number of respondents who disapproved was subtracted from those who approved, Mr. Harper’s net approval rating stood at a gaping -26, compared to -5 for Mr. Rae and +10 for Mr. Mulcair.
Electoral politics was not the only subject probed in the poll. Canadians were also asked about former media baron Conrad Black’s citizenship, impressions of an income gap and the foreign exchange rate of the Canadian dollar.
Through all questions, results suggest a leftward tilt.
Among respondents, 61% said they disagreed that the former media tycoon should be given back his Canadian citizenship after renouncing it in 2001 to accept a seat in the British House of Lords. Just 21% said he deserved a second chance.
“Canadians are proud of their country and value its citizenship. It is clear they do not think Conrad Black deserves the benefits of being a Canadian anymore,” said Mr. Bozinoff.
The former proprietor of an international newspaper chain, including the National Post, was released from a Florida prison this month after serving more than three years for fraud and obstruction of justice. He returned to Canada on a temporary resident visa.
The Forum Poll for the National Post also suggests a wide majority of Canadians – more than three-quarters – think Canada suffers from an income gap, where the rich are getting too rich and the poor are getting too poor.
Regionally, Albertans were the least likely to worry about an income gap (63% did), compared with 89% in Atlantic Canada, 80% in British Columbia, 78% in Ontario, 77% in the Prairies and 76% in Quebec.
Not surprisingly, high-income households (those earning more than $100,000 a year) were the least likely to decry wealth inequity.
Also, 45% of respondents said a low Canadian dollar that supports manufacturing was better for the country than a high dollar bolstered by resource exports, compared to 35% who disagreed.
The issue was recently championed by Mr. Mulcair in his comment on Canada suffering “Dutch disease” — when a high currency value hurts blue-collar manufacturing jobs.
The poll was based on an interactive voice response telephone survey of 1,836 random residents of Canada, 18 or older, conducted on May 23. The results are considered accurate to within 2.29 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Regional results will be less accurate.
NDP making huge gains as Canada tilts leftward | News | National Post
