Only Coal For Harper's Tories (35%) As
Liberal's (33%) Vote Stocking Up

Ottawa, ON - It appears that Harper's Tories are getting a big chunk of coal from Canadians this holiday season, with a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global television finding that the Conservatives are failing to make any headway, holding steady at 35% support nationally. The Liberals, on the other hand, are having their stockings filled, rising from 29% to 33% support, and placing them only two points behind the Tories. The NDP and Green Parties have each dipped one point, and now sit at 15% and 8% support, respectively. Seven percent (7%) of Canadians remain undecided.

Within seat-rich Ontario, the Conservatives at 33% have been sleighed, as the gap between them and the Liberals (43%) has increased to ten points. This represents a three-point slide for the Tories and a climb of three points for the Grits. The NDP has slipped to 13% (down two points), while the Green Party is now at 6% support within Ontario (a decline of one point).

Within Quebec, the Bloc are maintaining the lead at 31% (8% nationally), which represents a decline of seven points within the province, but the Liberals have surged ahead of the Tories and now sit at 27% support, a rise of eight points. The Conservatives have the support of 23% of Quebecers, a rise of three points, while the Green Party has the support of 6% of Quebecers, a decline of one point.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for CanWest News Service/Global News and fielded from Dec 18-20, 2007. For this survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the aggregate results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within each sub-grouping of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional, political and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Dr. Darrell Bricker
President and COO
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 324-2001
[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.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

Ipsos
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