[LINK] "NDP viewed as clearest alternative to Conservatives, poll shows"

[rfmcdonald]

The Globe and Mail's Daniel Leblanc reports on a new poll suggesting the NDP is in a strong place nationally.

The NDP is seen as the party that offers the best-defined alternative to the Conservative government before an election in which Canadians will be asked to choose between political stability and renewal, a Globe and Mail/Nanos Research poll has found.

Fifty-two per cent of respondents said the NDP “represents the clearest change from the current Stephen Harper government.” The Liberal Party was far behind at 19 per cent, with the Green Party at 10 per cent.

[. . .]

Both the New Democrats and the Liberal Party are positioning themselves as agents of change after 10 years of Conservative rule, but the findings suggest the Liberals have failed to differentiate themselves clearly from the Harper government to this point.

The poll also shows the NDP is nearly tied with the Liberal Party on economic issues. Asked to name the opposition party that they “trust most on matters related to the Canadian economy,” 30 per cent of respondents named the Liberal Party, and 27 per cent opted for the NDP. (Thirty per cent said none of the opposition parties had earned their trust on economic issues.)

Confirming that Canada is headed for a three-way contest, the poll found a tight race to be the party with the “most appealing” policy platform. The NDP came in first at 28 per cent, followed by the Conservatives at 27 per cent and the Liberals at 25 per cent.