Half of Canadians think Stephen Harper should step down if the Conservatives are defeated in the House of Commons.
But that seemingly bleak number in a new Leger Marketing poll doesn't tell the entire story.
About 37 per cent of those asked said Harper should stay, and this mirrors the approximate support Canadians gave the Tories and their leader in the Oct. 14 election, says Leger vice-president Dave Scholz.
In other words, support or condemnation of Harper breaks down along party lines, with Tory supporters generally content while those who don't normally vote for him say he should get his pink slip if the Tories lose power.
In fact, among identified Conservative voters, only 16 per cent feel he should step down in the event of his party's defeat, the poll shows.
Seventy-six per cent of Tory supporters would prefer Harper to stay, with eight per cent undecided.
The fact that all three coalition leaders were born in Quebec may factor into the West's disenchantment with Ottawa.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe was born and raised in Montreal, while Liberal Leader Stephane Dion was born and raised in Quebec City. NDP Leader Jack Layton, the sole Anglophone of the three, was born and raised in Hudson, Quebec, although he is currently the MP for the riding of Toronto-Danforth.
POLL RESULTS
- An exclusive Sun Media-Leger Marketing poll finds that if the Tories are toppled in a non-confidence vote, 43% would prefer to return to the polls while 40% would opt for a coalition.
Other results:
- In B.C., 54% prefer to go to an election while 29% support a coalition.
- 71% of Albertans oppose coalition, preferring election.
- Those in the east and central Canada are more open to a coalition, especially in Quebec where 58% want it.
- Ontarians are the most deeply divided in the land, with 43% picking an election and 39% preferring a coalition.
