A new Angus Reid survey has found that a majority of Canadian voters, including a large portion of Liberal Party supporters, say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should step down before the next election is held.
More than half of Canadians (57 percent) said Mr. Trudeau should step down, while 28 percent said he should lead the party into the next election. A total of 82 percent of Conservative voters said he should step down compared to 12 percent in favour of him staying on. Among 2021 Liberal voters, 44 percent said he should remain while 41 percent said it is time for a change.
Among NDP voters, 47 percent said he should resign versus 35 percent wanting him to stay, while Bloc Quebecois supporters polled 51 percent for his stepping down and 33 percent for remaining.
Mr. Trudeau has rejected the idea of resigning, telling reporters in September that the next election was two years away. “There’s a lot of important work to do, to deliver for Canadians in these difficult moments. I remain enthusiastic and relentless with regards to this work,” he said.
The Angus Reid poll also found that of those who voted Liberal back in 2021, 38 percent said they did not plan on supporting the party again if an election were held today. A total of 16 percent of past Liberal voters said they would vote for the NDP, 10 percent had shifted to the Tories, and 9 percent were undecided or preferred not to disclose their political leanings.
In terms of voting intentions, the Conservatives have the support of 39 percent of Canadians, followed by the Liberals with 28, and the NDP at 21 percent. In September 2022, shortly after Pierre Poilievre was elected Conservative leader, the Liberals had the support of 35 percent of Canadians, the Conservatives 29, and the NDP 20 percent.
According to the poll, the prime minister’s approval ratings have fallen to their lowest point since he became the leader in 2015, with just 31 percent saying they approve of his performance and 64 percent disapproving. Mr. Trudeau had a similar approval rating in August 2019, as the country entered an election.
Angus Reid found that Mr. Trudeau’s decline in popularity has not translated into support for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre personally. Around 37 percent of Canadians say they view him favourably, while 49 percent do not, with both figures showing little variation since he became party leader.
Across the country, Mr. Poilievre is viewed negatively by majorities in Atlantic Canada (54 percent), Quebec (54), and B.C. (53), with Ontario at 48 percent. The Conservative leader has majority support in the provinces of Alberta (55 percent) and Saskatchewan (56 percent).
Yet, when asked who they believed would be the best party leader to lead Canada, Mr. Poilievre came in first at 30 percent, followed by “none of them” at 27 percent, Mr. Trudeau at 16 percent, and Jagmeet Singh at 15 percent.
