Here is the lastest Globe Media poll by the Strategic Council.
National
Conservatives: 31%
Liberals: 27%
NDP: 20%
Dead-heat in Ontario.
Conservatives: 35%
Liberals: 34%
NDP: 25%
As you know, the Liberals are very strong in the GTA. That means that the Conservatives are doing well in rest of "seat-rich" Ontario. I haven't put these numbers into my spreadsheet yet but I can tell already it is enough to have a minority Conservative government (if the election was held yesterday, blah, blah, blah). Update: The numbers are up and yup, Conservative Minority and an NDP on the move.
...The news gets worse for the Liberals when it comes to the personal performances of each party leader.
The sponsorship scandal and negative commentary over Martin's recent efforts to strike deals to keep his party in power seems to have eaten away at his once-vaunted credibility.
When asked to name which of the leaders is the most dishonest:
63 per cent of Canadians picked Martin;
20 per cent chose Harper;
5 per cent of respondents said NDP Leader Jack Layton; and
3 per cent named Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe.
The picture becomes even bleaker for Martin: 61 per cent of Canadians say they believe he would lie if it would help him politically; 54 per cent call him hypocritical; while 47 percent say he's indecisive.
"Paul Martin is looking like a caricature of a stereotypical politician -- a person who is prepared to lie, a person who is prepared to bribe people with their own money," Allan Gregg, chairman of The Strategic Counsel, told CTV News.
This is not good for PM the PM (by a technicality, see Andrew Coyne)
...Harper, meanwhile, has gained crucial momentum going into an election, with poll results indicating that Canadians are beginning to warm up to him and his vision.
However, he's yet to shake off the cool, remote image that many believe has been holding down Conservative support across the country.
When Canadians were asked which party leader they would most like to have dinner with, both Martin (23 per cent) and Layton (25 per cent) edged out Harper, who polled at 19 per cent. Duceppe trailed far behind at 10 per cent nationally, but not surprisingly won 35 per cent in Quebec.
Given the total polling results, however, Harper's positive ratings exceed his negatives, which indicate there could be opportunities for Harper to continue to redefine his image.
