A Tory turnaround

Looks like you might have started gloating a little too early, haters:

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper reversed a slide in the polls heading into the final days before the Oct. 14 election, benefiting from a new plan to help struggling banks, a report of record job growth and a gaffe by Liberal rival Stephane Dion.

[...]

Polls show support for the Conservatives has steadied after a week-long slide, while Liberal gains have stalled.

The Conservative lead widened to six percentage points in a daily survey by Ottawa-based Nanos Research, even as the party stayed at a campaign-low 33 percent. The Liberals fell two percentage points to 27 percent. The poll of 1,200 voters has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.

The latest Harris-Decima poll for the Canadian Press newswire had Tory support firming at 34 percent and the Liberals falling back to 26 percent.

Typically, it takes 38 percent to 40 percent of the popular vote in Canada to win enough electoral districts to control Parliament without having to rely on other parties to pass laws. Harper's Conservatives held 127 seats in Canada's 308-seat Parliament when elections were called on Sept. 7.

The poll numbers suggest Harper's efforts to dispel the notion he didn't appreciate the magnitude of the crisis have paid off. Harper contended that tax cuts and regulatory changes by his government helped the economy and banks escape the worst of the financial crisis. Statistics Canada yesterday reported the biggest monthly employment gain in at least 30 years.

Only the most optimistic Tories are predicting a Conservative majority government, but an increased minority is looking probable.

Damian P.

Posted by damian at October 11, 2008 11:43 AM