How low can the polls go for the federal Liberals?
If a recent Angus Reid survey is to be believed, support for the party is already as low as it's ever been in modern times.
The poll published Monday gives the governing Liberals just 16% of decided voters, behind the Conservatives (45%), NDP (21%) and ahead of the Bloc Quebecois (11%).
The Angus Reid study noted that the Liberals received 22.7% of the vote in the 1867 election and has only fallen below 30% three other times.
In 1984, the party led by John Turner received 28% of the vote, 2008 Stéphane Dion led the party to 26.2% of the vote and in 2011, Michael Ignatieff led the party to receive 18.9% of the vote.
“Even in polling prior to the 2011 election, support for the Liberals never fell below 17%,” says the Angus Reid survey.
Support for the Liberals has dropped five points, across demographics, in the weeks since Chrystia Freeland’s surprise departure from cabinet.
Most voters who supported the party in 2021 are now looking elsewhere, says the poll results. 16% are now supporting the CPC and 20% have shifted to the NDP. 12% are undecided or will not vote.
If the poll results are reflected on voting day, the Liberals could fall as far as losing official party status — 12 seats — in the House of Commons.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is also very unpopular at the moment. Unfavourable views of him are now at an all-time high of 58%.
The full survey can be read here.
