OTTAWA — A significant majority of Canadians, including numerous former Liberal supporters, are advocating for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation rather than his continued leadership into the upcoming federal election, according to a recent poll.
The latest national survey conducted by Abacus Data reveals that 56 percent of respondents believe that Trudeau “should step down,” when asked about his potential candidacy for office once more. In contrast, 27 percent are of the opinion that Trudeau should remain, while 17 percent express uncertainty.
Breaking down responses from those who voted for the Liberal party in the 2021 federal election, 28 percent agree that it’s time for Trudeau to leave, while 52 percent endorse his candidacy for the prime ministerial position once again. A portion of self-identified Liberal voters, constituting 20 percent, are undecided about Trudeau’s continuation.
The survey was carried out from August 18 to 23, involving 2,189 adults, and the data was adjusted based on age, gender, education, and region. The results maintain a reliable margin of error, approximately plus or minus 2.1 percent, with a confidence level of 95 percent.
David Coletto, the President and CEO of Abacus Data, highlights the concerning implications of these numbers for the Liberal party. He suggests that the revelation of many Canadians desiring a conclusion to the Trudeau era could be a “shock” to the Liberals, who currently trail Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative party in both Abacus surveys and other national polls. Coletto speculates that if the Liberals believed they had reached their lowest level of support, there’s a possibility that the bottom hasn’t yet been reached, and the situation could deteriorate further before improving.
As per the latest poll results from Coletto’s firm, 38 percent of respondents would vote for the Conservatives if an election were held at present, compared to 26 percent for the Liberals. Coletto remarks that this is the weakest level of support for the Liberals since Trudeau assumed office as prime minister in 2015, surpassing even their previous poll.
The poll also shows the NDP with a 19 percent support rate, followed by four percent for both the Greens and the far-right People’s Party. Additionally, Coletto observes an emerging trend in the results — Canadians are increasingly receptive to Pierre Poilievre. Thirty-four percent of respondents hold a favorable view of the Conservative leader, marking a four-point increase from a previous Abacus survey conducted earlier in the month.
Coletto believes that this shift indicates the Conservative party’s efforts to cultivate a positive perception of Poilievre are proving effective. He cites a recent TV advertisement featuring Poilievre’s wife, Anaida, portraying him as a caring and dedicated family man. Coletto suggests that the Liberals might need to counter this emerging image of Poilievre more effectively to prevent his popularity from solidifying.
He also underscores that the current political landscape outlined in the poll is subject to change, and there’s still hope for the Liberals, with around 45 percent of respondents remaining open to voting for them. However, there’s a risk that the existing dynamics will solidify into lasting perceptions of both the Trudeau Liberals and the Poilievre Conservatives. Coletto concludes by urging the Liberals to consider when these views might become so entrenched that they are nearly impossible to alter,
