Canadians Put Federal Political Leaders on Notice

Toronto, ON - Canadians have put some of their political leaders on notice, saying that if they don't perform well in the next election they should quit as Leader of their party, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television.

The next election could be the last for some of the Party leaders if their party performs poorly. Canadians have weighed in on whether they believe each of the party leaders should stay on as Leader or quit if their party were to lose or perform poorly in the next election:

• Canadians are equally split on whether Stephen Harper should stay on (51%) or quit (49%).
• Most (73%) believe that Michael Ignatieff should quit (73%) rather than stay on (27%).
• Six in ten (60%) would like Jack Layton to stay on (60%) instead of quit (40%).
• A majority of Canadians (57%) believe that Gilles Duceppe should quit as leader if his party performs poorly, while four in ten (43%) think he should stay on. Within Quebec, however, most (66%) believe he should stay on as leader even if the party performs poorly, while one in three (34%) believe he should quit as leader.
• A majority (57%) of Canadians believe Elizabeth May should stay on as Leader (57%) even if her party performs poorly, while four in ten (43%) think she should step down.

As part of the pre-election rhetoric, Party attack-ads and speeches are targeting their political opponents, trying to characterize the other leaders in various ways, while leaders try to reinforce what they believe are their positive traits. Below is a chart of various character traits, and the proportion of Canadians who believe that that these traits describe each of the leaders:

(Click to enlarge image)

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between January 24 to 27, 2011, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,006 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults who drive and have a car in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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