A new Ipsos poll suggests the Conservatives are making a comeback in Ontario and Quebec, while the New Democratics have slid to third place.
If the election were held today, the Liberals would get 33 per cent of the decided vote, followed by the Conservatives with 32 per cent, and the NDP with 28 per cent.
The poll, which was conducted for Global News between Sept. 25-28, was released before Monday night’s foreign policy debate. It surveyed 1,354 Canadians online and is accurate within plus or minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The Liberals are unchanged from the last poll while the Conservatives are up five points, and the NDP are down three points. What is most striking is that the New Democrats, which had 34 per cent in early September, have dropped by around two points each week since then.
In the battleground of Ontario, the Conservatives are outfront with 35 per cent support, closing the gap with Liberals who have fallen from 41 per cent in the previous Ipsos poll to 34 per cent. The NDP is trailing at 27 per cent.
In Toronto proper, the NDP and the Liberals are statistically tied at 34 per cent and 33 per cent with the Conservatives in third place at 28 per cent.
In the 905 area, the Conservatives have the advantage over the Liberals with 43 per cent support, compared to 36 per cent for the Grits, with the New Democrats trailing in third place at 19 per cent.
The poll also found the Tories are rallying in Quebec with 21 per cent support, up eight percentage points, but the Bloc at 18 per cent are not far behind. And, while the gap between the NDP and the Liberals has narrowed, the NDP (34 per cent) are still enjoying a 10-point lead over the Liberals (24 per cent).
However, it seems some Canadians are still not sure who to vote for or whether they will vote at all. Eleven per cent of those polled, or one in 10 voters, said they were “unsure of who they’d vote for, or say that they wouldn’t vote or would spoil their ballot.”
One of the hot-button issues during the election campaign and last week’s French-language debate is whether women who wear niqabs should show their faces during citizenship ceremonies.
Earlier this month, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the ruling Conservatives’ appeal of an earlier Federal Court ruling case that declared the ban on face coverings at such ceremonies was unlawful.
However, the poll found three quarters of Canadians surveyed, or 76 per cent, support “a requirement that that people show their face during Canadian citizenship ceremonies.” One-quarter, or 24 per cent, opposed the requirement.
Although most voters for each party support the requirement, “this could be just the wedge issue the Tories have been looking for.” The poll shows 95 per cent of Tory voters support it, compared to 69 per cent of NDP voters and 67 per cent of Liberal voters.
