Opinions of Stephen Harper Hold Steady since Last Year:
Approval of Prime Minister's Performance at 45% (Down 3 Pts);
44% (Down 2 Pts) Believe Majority Government Working Well

Toronto, ON - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has an approval rating of 45%, only a modest decline since last year, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News. Nearly half (45%) `approve' (11% strongly/33% somewhat) of the `the way Stephen Harper is handling his job as Prime Minister', while a majority (55%) of Canadians `disapprove' (26% strongly/29% somewhat) of Harper's ability to handle the top job in Canada. But in a country where it doesn't take a majority of the popular vote to secure a majority government, if most of those who approve of the Prime Minister's party support his candidates in the next election, the Conservatives would be likely to have another strong showing on Election Day in 2015.

A similar proportion of Canadians `agree' (9% strongly/35% somewhat) that `the majority government in Ottawa is working well', which is only down slightly (2 points) since last year. Conversely, six in ten (56%) `disagree' (20% strongly/35% somewhat) that `the majority government in Ottawa is working well'. It appears that as Canada enters the New Year, Stephen Harper has maintained a reasonably steady core of support as the head of a majority government, and the opposition parties haven't done much to change Canadians' minds about the Harper government in the past year.

Harper's Approach and Values...

Nearly half of Canadians (48%) `agree' (12% strongly/36% somewhat) that `Prime Minister Harper's approach to politics has been good for Canada', although the other half (52%) `disagree' (25% strongly/28% somewhat). Fewer Canadians (44%) `agree' (11% strongly/33% somewhat) that `Prime Minister Harper's approach to politics has been good for Parliament', while more Canadians (56%) `disagree' (26% strongly/30% somewhat) that Harper's political approach is good for Parliament.

Four in ten (44%) Canadians `agree' (12% strongly/31% somewhat) that `they share Prime Minister Harper's values when it comes to where Canada should be headed', although another majority (56%) `disagree' (28% strongly/29% somewhat). A similar proportion (43%) `agree' (16% strongly/28% somewhat) that `Prime Minister Harper should run for office again during the next election set for 2015', while majority (57%) `disagree' (32% strongly/25% somewhat) that Harper should run for re-election in 2015. But if those who want him to run end up supporting Conservative candidates as a result, the Prime Minister could be destined for a strong showing.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 7th to 12th, 2012, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,021 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics 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. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case the poll is accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points of the entire Canadian adult population. 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, PhD
CEO
Ipsos 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.

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About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 84 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,363 billion (1.897 billion USD) in 2011.

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