For my Canadian readers, especially Tory Ninja. (H/T Ben)
Excerpt:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have opened up a wide lead against their political rivals in public favour and would be close to winning a majority if an election occurred now, a new poll has found.
The national survey, conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global National, found that the Tories are now supported by 43% of decided voters — up by four points from early February.
That finding by pollster Ipsos Reid is significant, as the level of support is near the threshold that experts believe the Tories need to win their long-coveted majority.
The Conservatives haven’t been this popular since they enjoyed a brief spike in the polls in December 2008 when Canadians were opposed to the opposition parties’ efforts to create a coalition government.
The new survey shows the Tories have a 16-point lead over the Liberals, led by Michael Ignatieff. The Grits, who have been trying to stoke voter anger over the government’s performance, have the support of 27% of voters, up by two points.
Jack Layton’s NDP appears to be in political decline as it makes demands to the government over what should be in the budget. The New Democrats would receive 13% of the vote, down by five points.
Similarly, the Green party, led by Elizabeth May, is in trouble. It would receive five per cent of the vote, down by five points.
Gilles Duceppe’s Bloc Quebecois has 10%of the vote nationally and still has a commanding lead in Quebec.
“What you’re seeing in the numbers is a continuation of a trend that started over the past two months,” said Ipsos Reid president Darrell Bricker on Tuesday.
“And one could say that with these types of numbers, the Tories are well poised to potentially form a majority.”
Bricker said that two major factors are at work: Canadians are generally optimistic about the economy and are giving credit to the Harper government, and the negative Conservative TV ads which take aim at Ignatieff’s political ambitions and patriotism are working.
[…]Bricker said another trend is occurring which works in the Tories’ favour: They are increasingly attracting support beyond their traditional base.
The new poll finds the Tories receiving more support from middle-income Canadians, women, university-educated voters and foreign-born Canadians.
“They’re flattening out those demographic differences and becoming more mainstream,” said Bricker.
[…]The federal political parties are preparing for the possibility of an election that could be precipitated by a budget in late March.
[…]In every region but Quebec, the Tories are leading in public opinion.
This poll puts them in majority territory, because last time they only won by 37.65% to 26.26% but they won 143 seats. 155 seats are needed for a majority, so 43% would definitely do the job. Anything over 40% is good.
Stephen Harper has a BA and MA in Economics, and is cutting the corporate tax rate to HALF of the US corporate tax rate. In Canada, voters are concerned about JOBS, not about Harper’s skin color, happy-talk or handsomeness. Canadians understand that if you woo corporations and businesses with low taxes and fewe regulations, you get the jobs. Harper also supports free trade, so that Canadians can sell their goods to foreign markets, and buy good from abroad for a cheaper price, either for consumption of manufacturing. This results in even MORE jobs.
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WINTERY KNIGHT 
I’m so proud :)
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Thanks for the shout out! My only problem with this is that it is not reality. My hope is that there is an election this spring and that the Conservatives get that majority. This minority governemnt situation is just getting tiresome as all the parties are in constant election mode. Give us a majority, which would then mean 10 straight years of Tory rule, 5 of which would allow the Tories to actualy govern like a true Conservative governement. By then, Harper will have probably groomed a new leader and the Liberals wouldn’t have shuch a horrid leader.
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You have to send me all the interesting Canadian stories you find, OK? I’ve got one for tomorrow, too. I think it’s neat to see that not everyone’s economy is in a mess. We are in a mess because we elected someone with no knowledge of business and economics. You guys elected someone who knows how economies grow. We could be like you! But people have to realize that there is a difference between competence and incompetence.
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I’m very concerned an election could produce uncertainty by the investment community, slow our economic momentum, and possibly send our fragile economy in a negative direction. However, I believe the opposition parties will be commiting political suicide if they mess with Canadian economic satisfaction. Phase two will bring in even faster passage of good bills, now that none will be delayed because of a new Conservaive Senate majority. The Opposition created a contempt facade that they could have done six months ago, because they’re afraid Canadians will benefit even to a greater satisfaction than they have already.
A positive point, is that it’s an opportunity for P.M. Harper’s leadership to gain more Ontario seats, and attack Duceppe’s misconceived idea to abandon the vast territory outside of Quebec, and isolate itself, and call it a benefit for Quebecers. This is an unprecedented historical mistake if it ever became a reality.
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I apologize to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty who is the real hero of our world-admired economy. He has proven what he could have done for Ontario, had he been given enough time. He also proved lower taxes produce more revenue. Even former deputy Prime Minister of the Paul Martin Liberal government said that lower corporate taxes produces more revenue, now at 51% of total revenue. Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe couldn’t care less, and won’t let facts interfere with their hatred of ‘big business’.
These two always claim to be the most compassionate, but Bob Rae wouldn’t pay Hepatitis C victims, nor did Chretien Martin. However the Harris and Harper governments did.
Jim Flaherty paid higher pension increases than Chretien or Martin, and was ready to pay more to GIS in this budget. There are at least two dozen good things this government has accomplished for Canadians. The Gobbels-type repetitious Fiberal lies have affected some people’s memories, but not for long.
Thank you, Jim Flaherty, and congratulations on your success, even though you never received one iota of credit for any good thing you accomplished. God Bless you for that.
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