"Breathtaking" Poll Sees Defeat for Canada Liberals

Reuters ^ | Mon Apr 11, 2005 | Randall Palmer and David Ljunggren

[West Coast Conservative]

Canada's minority Liberal government is heading for defeat at the hands of the Conservatives after more than 11 years in power, a dramatic new poll is predicting.

The EKOS poll, commissioned by the Toronto Star, was taken after an advertising executive raised the stakes in a scandal about misuse of government cash by testifying he had paid large kickbacks to the Liberals in French-speaking Quebec.

The poll published on Monday showed support for the Conservatives rose seven points to 36.2 percent while the Liberals fell by nine points to just 25 percent.

But both parties played down the chances of a snap election, saying they felt Canadians wanted to hear more information from a public inquiry into the scandal.

It was the lowest showing for the Liberals since they took office in 1993. Public support for the party dipped as low as 29 percent before last June's election, but the party recovered to poll 36.7 percent on election day.

The Toronto Star said the figures suggested a late June election, and EKOS predicted that Conservative leader Stephen Harper would win a minority government.

"There is little immediately apparent in the political environment ... to suggest a way back for the Liberals," the paper quoted EKOS pollster Frank Graves as saying. He said the poll pointed to "a breathtaking shift in what had been a stagnant and listless political landscape".

Prime Minister Paul Martin sought to distance himself from the scandal, which occurred under his predecessor, Jean Chretien. "I was personally offended by what I heard ... this is not the way I would do politics," he told reporters.

[GMMAC]

Don't get too depressed or elated.

A Conservative government in Canada would, at least initially, be ideologically pretty much like a RINO one in relative U.S. terms.

Left-wing Hollywood hypocrites will stay where they already are - where the money is. However, if it cheers you up any, I doubt if any of the American draft dodgers and military deserters we've been stuck with for the past more than three decades will be going anywhere either.

[Libertina]

Just don't let them count the Canadian votes in King County! ;)

[Ashamed Canadian]

Fellow Canadian Conservatives. I never would have believed the Liberals would implode so quickly. Our time is at hand to take back the country!!!

[Heartofsong83]

They could always head overseas...

That analysis seems correct, although names like Myron Thompson and Cheryl Gallant would want to drive the party rightward (especially if they get into cabinet)

[GMMAC]

To be fair and to encourage a swing to the right, for the first two socially conservative Liberals who cross the Floor, Harper should re-pay Martin by sending him Peter MacKay and gal-pal Belinda.

BTW, if Cheryl - in particular - had all that much drag in the area of policies, we'd likely still have a pro-life plank in our national platform.

[HamiltonJay]

When is Canada's next scheduled elections?

[Heartofsong83]

When the opposition defeats the government on a Motion of Non-Confidence.

[HamiltonJay]

Well given the latest revelations a no confidence vote definately seems to be in order.