A new poll of voting intentions on the federal scene suggests that the Conservative Party (PCC) still enjoys a small lead over the Liberal Party (PLC) in power and that it has widened the gap slightly.
The survey conducted by the Léger polling firm from December 9 to 11 indicates that 33% of respondents would vote for the Conservatives and 30% would support the Liberals if a federal election had been in progress.
This is the fourth consecutive monthly poll where the Conservative Party is ahead and the fourth since Pierre Poilievre became leader.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) garners 21% of popular support, compared to 19% in November. Support for the Bloc Québécois (BQ) and the Green Party (PV) remained stable in the poll, at 7% and 4% of national voting intentions respectively.
In Atlantic Canada, the Liberal Party holds a substantial lead, 9 points ahead of the Conservative Party.
The Liberals are also the favorites in Quebec, their support having remained at 6 points ahead of the Bloc Québécois. Only 19% of Quebec respondents said they would vote for the Conservatives and barely 8% would support the NDP.
In Ontario, the Conservatives, with 36% of the favour, have a 7-point lead over the Liberals at 29%; the NDP is at 26%.
The Conservatives are at 47% in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the NDP is in second place, with 23% of the voting intentions. The Liberal Party is in third place with 19% of support, while the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), led by Maxime Bernier, obtained its best result with 9% of favor.
The Conservative Party also leads by a 15-point margin in Alberta, with the Liberals and New Democrats just one point apart, and trails the Liberals by a narrower 2-point margin in British Columbia.
The poll shows that younger respondents are the most likely to support New Democrats. A third of people aged 18 to 34 said they would vote for the NDP, while 28% have a preference for the Liberal Party and 22% for the Conservatives.
Among those aged 55 and over, the Conservatives lead with 38% of support, compared to 32% for the Liberals and only 15% for the NDP.
Another contrast emerges in this poll, this time between rural voters and those in urban centres.
The Conservatives are well ahead among rural voters, with 43% popular support compared to 26% for the Liberal Party, and among suburban voters as well, albeit by a much slimmer 4 point margin.
On the other hand, the Liberal Party has the most support among the urban population, with 34%. In the cities, the Conservatives, at 27%, are only two points ahead of the NDP, at 25%.
The survey was conducted online with 1,526 Canadians. It cannot be assigned a margin of error, as online surveys are not considered random samples.