CTV poll: 30 per cent of Canadians think Harper gov't should be re-elected

Accoding to a new poll, the Conservatives appear to have weathered most of the Senate scandal storm and put a halt to their declining popularity, although most of the Canadians surveyed believe it’s time for a change in government.

A CTV News Ipsos Reid poll found that 30 per cent feel the Harper government has done a good job and deserves to be re-elected, while 70 per cent feel it’s time for a different party to take over.

The results could be troubling for the Conservatives ahead of the 2015 election.

Heading into the 2011 election, which saw the Conservatives win a majority government, 44 per cent of those polled indicated that the government under Harper deserved re-election.

While the majority of Canadians don’t believe the Conservatives deserve a fourth mandate, the poll also showed that the party and Harper seem to have weathered the Senate scandal storm.

The government’s approval rating is at 41 per cent – a three-point increase from May, when news of the expense scandal in the upper chamber first broke.

Meanwhile, 57 per cent say they "disapprove" of the government's performance.

Majority don't think Canada is on right track

Forty-four per cent of Canadians say the country is heading in the right direction under the Conservatives -- which is a lower approval rating compared to the last two federal elections.

    In 2008, 55 per cent thought that Canada was on the right track, but the Conservatives only returned with a minority government.
    In early 2011, 51 per cent of Canadians thought the country was on the right track. Harper and the Conservatives returned to Ottawa with a majority government.

Party personalities

Canadians were asked how the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP stacked up against a series of personality attributes.  The Tories were seen are the most “tired” party (49 per cent), but also the most “competent” (35 per cent) and “well-rounded” (35 per cent).

The Liberals topped other parties in the “shares my values” category (32 per cent), and tied with the NDP as the party that’s “for all Canadians” (34 per cent). However, 37 per cent of poll respondents said the Liberal Party is “of the past” (37 per cent).

The NDP ranked highest in the “honest” (41 per cent) and “inspired” (36 per cent) categories, but was also deemed most “risky” (33 per cent).

Original Article
Source: ctvnews.ca
Author: CTVNews.ca Staff