Heading into Leader's Debates, Harper Continues to Best Rivals on Economy, Trust, Best Prime Minister

Toronto, ON - There has been very little change in support for the major party leaders throughout the first two weeks of the campaign and the party leaders are now turning their efforts to the Leader's Debates to break through the political stalemate. The debate is particularly crucial for Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who will have the opportunity to showcase himself to Canadians in an effort to improve upon his personal leadership numbers, which are likely holding his party back in the polls.

He has been campaigning about the need to have an open, responsible, and ethical government but has been unable to convince voters that he is the man to deliver this kind of government, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. Just two in ten (19%) trust Michael Ignatieff the most in this regard, unchanged since March. This compares to 39% (unchanged) who most trust Stephen Harper to provide an open, responsible and ethical government, 36% (up 2 points) for Jack Layton and 6% (down 3 points) for Gilles Duceppe.

Conversely, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has been touting Canada's relative economic strength and the need to keep the Conservatives at the helm during these uncertain times. Thinking about who they trust most to manage Canada's economy, nearly half (48%, up 1 point) believe Stephen Harper is the right man for the job, while Jack Layton (25%, up 2 points) is slightly ahead of Michael Ignatieff (22%, down 1 point) and well ahead of Gilles Duceppe (4%, down 3 points).

Stephen Harper continues to be the leader which Canadians think would make the best Prime Minister, chosen by 47% (down 2 points) of Canadians, compared with 35% (up 1 point) who believe Jack Layton would make the best Prime Minister. Michael Ignatieff has failed to gain any significant momentum on this measure, with just 19% (up 2 points) believing that he's the best Prime Minister of the lot.

Ipsos Reid has been tracking key leadership traits heading up to and during the election. Below are the proportions of Canadians who believe that each leader is best described by that particular trait, along with the tracking:

• Someone you can trust: 42% (no change since March) Stephen Harper, 36% (+2 points) Jack Layton, 17% (+2) Michael Ignatieff, 6% (-3) Gilles Duceppe.
• Someone who will get things done: 46% (-1) Stephen Harper, 28% (+1) Jack Layton, 21% (+4) Michael Ignatieff, 5% (-3) Gilles Duceppe.
• Someone who has what it takes to lead Canada: 46% (-4) Stephen Harper, 27% (+1) Jack Layton, 23% (+5) Michael Ignatieff, 4% (-2) Gilles Duceppe.
• Someone who has a hidden agenda: 44% (-2) Michael Ignatieff, 41% (+2) Stephen Harper, 10% (no change) Jack Layton, 5% (no change) Gilles Duceppe.
• Someone who is best to manage during tough economic times: 51% (-1) Stephen Harper, 23% (+1) Jack Layton, 22% (+4) Michael Ignatieff, 4% (-3) Gilles Duceppe.
• Someone who wants to be Prime Minister for the right reasons: 41% (-3) Stephen Harper, 37% (+3) Jack Layon, 18% (+2) Michael Ignatieff, 4% (-2) Gilles Duceppe.
• Someone who has a vision of Canada that you can support: 44% (-1) Stephen Harper, 31% (+1) Jack Layton, 20% (+2) Michael Ignatieff, 5% (-2) Gilles Duceppe.

Policies and Issues...

Less than a week ago, Michael Ignatieff released his party's platform called the "Family Pack". He says his campaign promises will be fulfilled by increasing corporate taxes and that he can pay for his promises while also reducing the budget deficit. However, just three in ten (30%) Canadians `agree' (8% strongly/22% somewhat) he'll be able to do this, compared to seven in ten (70%) who `disagree' (44% strongly/26% somewhat) that he'll be able to.

Another issue that has crept back into the political narrative is the long-gun registry. Interestingly, this issue appears to have resonance with some voters, as four in ten (43%) `agree' (16% strongly/27% somewhat) that `when I'm thinking about my vote this time, how my MP voted on the long-gun registry will be an important part of my decision'. Six in ten (57%) Canadians `disagree' (31% strongly/26% somewhat) that it will factor into the equation for them.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between April 5 to 7, 2011, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global National. For this survey, a sample of 1,020 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and political composition to 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 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:

Darrell Bricker
CEO
Ipsos Public Affairs
(416) 324-2001
[email protected]

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