Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre would become prime minister if an election were held today, according to Liberal-leaning pollsters at Abacus Data.
The Abacus survey found that 35% of respondents would vote for the Conservative Party led by Poilievre, 30% for the Liberal Party, 17% for the NDP and 9% for the Bloc Quebecois.
The poll was conducted after the results of the Conservative leadership were announced on Sept. 10, which saw Poilievre win with a decisive 68.15% on the first ballot. The poll has a margin of error of 2.2% 19 times out of 20.
Provincially, the Conservatives had the most support in the prairies with 56% in Alberta and 51% in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The survey revealed that the Conservatives would have the upper hand in battleground provinces British Columbia (33%) and Ontario (38%).
Despite the positive numbers for the Conservatives, Abacus claims Canadians have mixed opinions about its new leader. According to the survey, 34% of respondents have a negative impression of Poilievre while 29% have a positive impression. Poilievre’s positives were the highest in Alberta (43%) and lowest in Quebec (21%).
Poilievre won the Conservative party’s leadership on a pledge to “remove the gatekeepers” to bring down the cost of living and increase wages.
The Carleton MP’s affordability message resonated with Conservative members, attracting hundreds of thousands of Canadians to the Tories.
Last week, it was revealed that several Liberal MPs are hoping that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau moderates his agenda to be “less woke.” After a Liberal caucus meeting, MPs concluded that the Liberals need to run to the political centre, a position the Liberal Party has historically occupied.
A Liberal MP who spoke to the CBC on the condition of anonymity expressed the desire for the party to return to its roots and quit the appeals to woke causes.
“We must return to a federal centre, centre-right party. We need a government that is down to earth and less woke,” said the MP.
Another Liberal MP expressed concern about the party’s handling of the economy, as inflation nears 8% and post-pandemic private sector employment struggles.
“We need to reframe the message. We need to have both hands on the wheel when it comes to the economy. We dropped the ball on this,” said the MP.
