Behind Le Devoir’s pay-wall, one finds the results of a new Leger poll (sample of 1,001; margin of error 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20).
While the Bloc continues to lead, in a “symbolic and very rare event … Jack Layton’s NDP are now tied with the Liberals in second place at 21 per cent, just ahead of the Conservatives at 19 per cent – thus maintaining their record level of support for a second consecutive month.”
Amongst francophone voters, the NDP is in undisputed second place in Quebec, at 22 per cent, followed by the Conservatives at 18 per cent and the Liberals at 14 per cent.
In the words of pollster Christian Bourque: “For Ignatieff, the situation in Quebec is clear: there are a lot of dissatisfied Liberals, and right now they’ve gone to the NDP.”
For the Conservatives, there’s bad news and some good in the poll.
In the Greater Quebec region – where the poll’s margin of error is greater but the lion’s share of its seats are indisputably located – the Bloc has surged ahead in the past month and leads by 36-25 per cent. On the other hand, satisfaction with the government has increased by 3 points during this period (it now stands at 26 per cent – compared to 20 per cent for the Charest government) and dissatisfaction has declined by 4 points (it now stands at 69 per cent – compared to 75 per cent for the Charest government).
