Most want referendum on electoral reform, new poll suggests, question dominates initial House committee, feds deke and dodge

The topic of holding a national referendum on changing Canada’s voting system was a hot one at meetings of the Special House Electoral Reform Committee on the Hill last week, and a poll conducted by Forum Research released Monday found 65 per cent of respondents think a national referendum on electoral reform should be held. “The public […]
Budget adds to immediate NDP woes but potential for rebound remains

VANCOUVER—The first Liberal federal budget has twisted the Trudeau knife further in the wounded New Democratic Party. The first budget of the new government is a big hit with elite centre left voters, a moderate success with populist or struggling groups, and leaves conservative groups infuriated. As a result, the Liberals are up, the NDP […]
Politics This Morning: Liberals hold 44 per cent support

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s selfies are paying off, according to a new poll by Abacus Data. “Mr. Trudeau’s trips, selfies and all, are far from a source of dismay for most people: instead they seem to sense value in Canada’s profile being raised in a positive way,” said Abacus Data’s Bruce Anderson in a statement […]
Trudeau’s public support has grown exponentially: reader
When a recent poll by Nanos Research asked a series of independent questions for each federal party, six of 10 Canadians (61.4 per cent) would consider voting Liberal while 42.6 per cent would consider voting NDP. Four of ten Canadians (40.7 per cent) would consider voting Conservative while 28.5 per cent would consider voting Green. It seems that since his election as […]
Trudeau voted most valuable politician, biggest political comeback, biggest news story, most approachable: 19th Annual All Politics Poll

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who acknowledged at this month’s festive Liberal Christmas party in Ottawa that 2015 has been “exceptional,” has been voted the year’s most valuable politician, the biggest political comeback, the biggest news story, and the most approachable member of Cabinet, according to The Hill Times’ 19th Annual Most Valuable Politician & All […]
Horserace narrows while Liberals gain on underlying numbers
After being pushed one way and pulled another, voters ended August very close to where they started at the beginning of the month with the horserace even tighter now than when the campaign began. The Duffy trial motivated opposition supporters and dampened the Conservative opportunity to grow. The leaders’ debate helped the Greens, Liberals and […]
Effectiveness of third-party ads offers explanation for early election call
The powerful effects of a third-party anti-Harper ad may explain why we are in the midst of the longest election campaign in recent history, according to the ad tests we have been running at Innovative Research Group. So far we have tested 10 ads in this election from the three major parties and two interest […]
Leadership critical in early voter decisions
Election news reports are filled with stories of leaders and polls. But how important are leaders as people decide which party to vote for? And how important are perceptions of who is likely to win as voters make up their minds? This week we focus on the elements of voter decisions that are most likely […]
NDP whittles away at the Conservatives’ voting coalition
The voting coalition that propelled the Conservatives to a majority victory in 2011 was a formidable one. It combined the party’s traditional stronghold of the West with voters in rural and suburban Ontario, with a strong emphasis on new Canadians. It united the fastest growing parts of the country, leading many to argue that the […]
Hard to sugar coat Conservatives’ polling data
OTTAWA—Buoyed by the victory of their provincial cousins in Alberta, the federal New Democrats have moved into a three-way tie with the Liberals and Conservatives. As the NDP eats into the Liberals’ vote, the Conservatives stand to benefit from a divided centre-left, and remain the favourite to win the most seats in this fall’s election. […]