Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has boosted his position amid a political crisis triggered when an opposition coalition sought to oust his government, two surveys said on Friday.
The polls put Harper’s Conservatives well ahead of the 40 percent needed for his minority ruling Conservatives to become a majority party in parliament.
CONSERVATIVES
An Ipsos Reid survey published in Canwest newspapers placed Conservatives at 46 percent with six in 10 Canadians saying the minority party was better suited to manage Canada’s ailing economy.
A Strategic Counsel poll released in the Globe and Mail newspaper put the Conservatives at 45 percent, a dramatic lead compared to the 24 percent for the Liberals.
The New Democrats only secured 14 percent.
Harper was reelected on Oct. 14 with 37.6 percent of the votes.
The opposition has lost ground since the election, when the Liberals secured 26.2 percent of the votes and the New Democrats had 18.2 percent.
OPPOSITION
The Liberals, the New Democrats and the separatist Bloc Quebecois have accused Harper of failing to shore up the Canadian economy and were angered by a proposal, since withdrawn, to cut subsidies for political parties.
Harper attacked the opposition, which had sought to bring a motion of no-confidence against the government tomorrow, saying the coalition was led by socialists and separatists.
POPULAR
Most Canadians backed Thursday’s move by Governor General Michaelle Jean to suspend parliament and avert the vote, the Ipsos poll found.
Some 56 percent of respondents said they preferred to return to the polls rather than let the coalition take power.
But most participants were deeply divided over Harper’s leadership, with 51 percent saying he could be trusted to lead the country, against 47 percent.
One thousand people were surveyed for each poll, with a 3.1 percent margin of error.
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