In article <1194963492.089709.279610@y27g2000pre.googlegroups.com>, <robertpeffers@aol.com> wrote: >POLLING THE COUNTRY: FEDERAL POLITICS POLL > >Tax cuts fail to lift Harper's fortunes >Tories in dead heat with Liberals after mini-budget, saga of Mulroney- >Schreiber >BRIAN LAGHI > >OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF > >November 13, 2007 > >The $60-billion in tax cuts included in last month's mini-budget have >failed to boost the federal Conservatives' electoral prospects, as a >new poll shows the party falling back into a dead heat with the >battered Liberals. > >The survey by the Strategic Counsel for The Globe and Mail/CTV News >shows the two parties each with the support of 32 per cent of >Canadians. The Conservatives had led the Liberals 34 per cent to 29 >per cent in a poll taken two weeks before the mini-budget, which >included income-tax relief and a one-percentage-point cut to the GST. > >The poll also comes amid controversy surrounding former prime minister >Brian Mulroney's relationship with German businessman Karlheinz >Schreiber and a probe that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called >into the matter. > >Peter Donolo, a partner with the Strategic Counsel, said the poll's >results are an example of a government's best-laid plans gone awry. > >"Two weeks ago, when they had their mini-budget, with billions and >billions of tax cuts, they couldn't have imagined that the Canadian >public would thank them by seeing their numbers drop," he said. > >"I think that the timing of the Mulroney affair couldn't be worse for >the Conservatives. They had obviously stage-managed this plan, and >less than two weeks later they're embroiled." > >He said the poll appears to confirm that the Liberals - not the NDP - >are the natural beneficiaries when the Tories face political >difficulties. According to the poll, the NDP dropped three points to >12 per cent. > >The Greens are up one percentage point to 13, a virtual tie with the >New Democrats. > >In the key battleground of Ontario, the gap between the Liberals and >the Conservatives has widened, with the Liberals ahead of the Tories >47 per cent to 29 per cent, compared with a previous gap of 40 to 33. >The NDP and the Greens each polled 12 per cent in the province. > >In Quebec, the Bloc Québécois jumped five points to 42 per cent, while >the Conservatives dropped three points to 23 per cent. The Liberals >remained stable, gaining one point to 18 per cent. > >The Tories continue to dominate in the West, with 43 per cent >supporting the Tories - up two percentage points - and 24 per cent >backing the Liberals, who are down three percentage points. The NDP >has dropped five points to 16 per cent, two points fewer than the >Greens. > >The poll of 1,000 Canadians was conducted Nov. 8-11 and is accurate to >within 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20. > >Polling expert Greg Lyle said Mr. Mulroney's policies on free trade >and the GST, as well as his personality, have always played negatively >in Ontario. > >"He still, to this day, carries a lot of baggage in Ontario," said Mr. >Lyle, managing director of Innovative Research Group. "And more so >than anywhere else in the country." > >Mr. Lyle added that, although Mr. Harper was probably right to >distance himself from the former PM by calling the probe, the story >may do damage as news coverage of the issue continues. Conservatives >will have to carefully manage the Mulroney matter if they wish to >retain the high ground on issues of ethics in government. > >The poll is also a warning to the NDP that it should position itself >carefully, as its supporters are the most hostile anti-Harper voting >group in Canada and inclined to move to the Liberals if they want to >defeat the Conservatives. > >However, the poll wasn't all good news for the Liberals. The survey >found that 36 per cent of Canadians would support a move to replace >Stéphane Dion as Liberal Leader. By contrast, only 18 per cent would >oppose such a move. > >Mr. Dion's party has been battered over the past few months by losses >in three Quebec by-elections and criticized by its political opponents >for allowing the passage of the Speech from the Throne. > >One bright spot for the Tories in the polls is the substantial support >the public appears to have for Mr. Harper's backing of a referendum on >the abolition of the Senate. Fully 49 per cent of Canadians support >such a referendum, compared with 33 per cent of Canadians who oppose >the idea. Another 46 per cent support the abolition of the upper >chamber, compared with 37 per cent who oppose the idea. > >Dead even > >Do Canadians support or oppose holding a referendum on abolishing the >Senate of Canada? > >Support: 49% > >Oppose: 33% > >Don't know: 18% > >Do Canadians support or oppose the abolishment of the Senate? > >Support: 46% > >Oppose: 37% > >Don't know: 17% > >Do Canadians support or oppose replacing Stéphane Dion as the Leader >of the Liberal Party? > >Support: 36% > >Oppose: 18% > >Don't know: 14% > >Neither: 32% > >Who would Canadians want to become a new Liberal leader?* > >Justin Trudeau: 40% > >Michael Ignatieff: 25% > >Gerard Kennedy: 11% > >Bob Rae: 23% > >*Some totals do not add up to 100% due to rounding. > >SOURCE: THE STRATEGIC COUNSEL > >http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071113.POLL13/TPStory/TPNational/Politics/ > What happened to Allan? -- Member - Liberal International This is doctor@nl2k.ab.ca Ici doctor@nl2k.ab.ca God, Queen and country! Beware Anti-Christ rising! Voting Canadians vote anyone but Harper Cronies!!