B.C. NDP maintains big lead over B.C. Liberal Party

The B.C. Liberal Party appears to be on the rise, picking up three percentage points to register 35 percent voter support in poll results released by Ipsos Reid on December 4.

Although it’s comfortably in the lead with 48-percent support among decided voters, the B.C. NDP has shed one point since September. The B.C. Conservatives were at nine percent, down by three, in the online survey conducted between November 26 and November 30.

According to Ipsos Reid vice president Kyle Braid, there are two ways Premier Christy Clark and her B.C. Liberals can win the May 2013 election.

“Either Adrian Dix and the NDP make a significant mistake,” Braid told the Straight by phone, “or the Liberals can work on the issue of the economy, and try to turn it more to their advantage than they have currently done.”

Braid pointed to the survey results to support his point about the economy. The poll shows that 59 percent of British Columbians, or nearly six in 10, think the economy is in “very good” or “good” shape. Thirty-eight percent, or about four in 10, believe it’s in “poor” or “very poor” shape.

“It should be a statistic that should benefit the incumbent,” Braid said. “But to this point, it’s clear that they haven’t managed to take advantage of that in the minds of voters, which suggests that some voters are either voting on other issues or they aren’t giving the Liberals credit for the strength of the economy.”

For Braid, the path the B.C. Liberals should take over the next six months is clear: “I think they need to establish in some voters’ minds that the economy is partially due to their good policies. And that moving to the NDP would represent a risk.”

Comments

10 Comments

tedo

Dec 5, 2012 at 5:26pm

if you dont like the NDP vote Conservative

Truth Bomb

Dec 5, 2012 at 5:58pm

If you don't like Conservative vote NDP.

judi sommer

Dec 5, 2012 at 6:07pm

And we now have recent information from the Auditor General that the deficit is far larger than de Jong claims. Questionable accounting around private-provincial mega projects bring Liberal figures into direpute. I know whose figures I trust more ..and it's not the Liberals'!

Stan Mortensen

Dec 6, 2012 at 12:37am

It would have to be a very major screw-up for Adrian Dix not to become the next premier of BC. I am not sure who Ipsos Reid is talking to or the nature or the way the questions are posed and what their bias factor is in the poll. However, most people that I speak with in Business and in the general community fully expect a change in government next May and most seem to be comfortable with the change.
As to whether 58% feel the economy is doing good or better, again most of the people I speak with have concerns about the state of our economy. Certainly, most are expecting to see very bad news coming out of Victoria next summer about the true state of the provincial finances. Certainly Mr. Dix has been very cautious in his pronoucements of what a NDP government will be able to accomplish in its' first term and that perhaps is wise on his part to keep expectations low.
Without question the next 12 to 15 months in BC are going to be very interesting and I suspect disturbing to many of us.

iSheep

Dec 6, 2012 at 1:31pm

What kinf of a Moron would Vote for the Lying Fieberals,

* Record Deficit racking,

* BC Rail Scandal

* $565+ Million Leaky Tarp Roof (More than Fast Ferries!)

* Owe-lympics Deficit Running

* Drunk Driver PPP Partnerships

* BC Hydro Tens of Billions Off Balance Sheet Debt ala Enron

* Guaranteed 100's of Billions of Corporate Welfare + Private Power Contracts

Your BC FIEBERALS...LOL

Teedeer

Dec 7, 2012 at 8:36am

I'm a politico-watcher from way back. The absolute worst thing that can happen to a politician is huge, seemingly insurmountable high ratings. Two things occur simultaneously; the supporters become complacent "why worry, we're a shoo-in" and the oppostion get every eligible voter out. Lots of things can happen between now and Provincial voting day. It ain't over 'til the last vote is counted and the fat lady sings

Matt from Cascadia

Dec 7, 2012 at 8:47am

Bring it on! A month ago, the BC Liberals were 25 points down. Now, we're 12 back. I ain't going to say we've got the Big Mo yet, but we're closing fast, and have 5 months to pick up the remainder and save this province from another wretched term of the NDP party. (I'm not sure whether NDP means Negative Destructive Pessimistic, or No Discernible Policies. Either way, the voters will see through their sham.)

Four more years!

iSheep

Dec 7, 2012 at 2:41pm

Matt what evidence do you have that the NDP would run this Province any Worse than the incompetent Corporate Welfare Record Deficit Fieberals?

Matt from Cascadia

Dec 7, 2012 at 4:01pm

How about every time they've been in government before? It's hard to compare their policies, because they don't have any (that they'll share, anyway). Adrian Dix is on the record saying that he thinks that Glen Clark was a good Premier. Nuff said.

Steve from the real world

Dec 11, 2012 at 7:29am

Matt you should give your head a shake. Look at the state of or finances record debt and deficits (we are not even sure of the debt because of the accounting policies of the liberal government). Low job growth numbers, high taxes (user fees, MSP premiums). Not to mention the countless scandals within the Liebral government, to many to mention.
I was a liberal supporter and at this point I believe a monkey with a lobotomy could run this province better than the liberal government has run this province.
It is a sad state of affairs but I am hoping anyone that anyone but the Liebrals is elected in the upcoming election even if it means the NDP... the Province can't afford these liberal clowns.