Courtesy BC NDPPoll finds BC NDP pulling ahead of Liberals

2011, decided, numbers, parties, support

Courtesy BC NDPPoll finds BC NDP pulling ahead of Liberals
The newest numbers from Ipsos Reid show 45 per cent of decided voters support New Democrats
Tamara Slobogean/Amelia John Oct 07, 2011 06:07:48 AM
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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The latest poll shows the provincial NDP has pulled ahead of the Liberals, but most people think Christy Clark makes the best premier.

How quickly our opinions change; in May, an Ipsos Reid poll found the two parties had equal support, but today, the NDP has a seven-point gain over the BC Liberals. It's easily explained, says this man:

"It's inevitable! Whatever party is in power is going to drop because they're making the bad decisions, or decisions that aren't popular. Of course, the party that's in power is going to take the brunt of that."

The latest poll finds 45 per cent of decided voters in this province would go NDP; 38 per cent would throw their support behind the Liberals. Twelve per cent favour the BC Conservatives and six per cent prefer the provincial greens.

Kyle Braid with Ipsos Reid says it's a good thing the Liberals have Clark on-board.

"The one thing the Liberals have in their favour: 34 per cent of British Columbians choose Christy Clark, which is 11 points ahead of Adrian Dix," he explains, who adds Dix can overcome the 11-point lead.

The poll was done online between September 28th and October 3rd; a thousand British Columbians were surveyed.

Braid says the numbers shouldn't come as a surprise. "It's not like we should have expected that if you replace Gordon Campbell with Christy Clark that a magic wand is going to be put over people's impressions and recollections of the record of the BC Liberal party."

There was speculation the Premier could call a provincial election this fall, but she confirmed this summer the next election will be in 2013. Braid notes the Liberals have their own pollsters and probably found this fall would have been a bad time for the party.