Majority Approve of Harper

geoffrey · February 19, 2006

A combination of conservative former Canadian Alliance/Reformers, and centrist/centre-right/Blue Grits former PCs and Liberals (disappointed in the corruption, cronysim, social liberalism of the Liberal Party) has the best chance to win a majority.

What a motley crew that would be. It's the everything party. I really worry if the CPC gets so diversified that it can win a majority, then it will lose all those things that I vote for in the party. I'm already unsatisfied with their ridicuolous rampant social spending initives and lack of tax cuts, brought on by being more 'appealing to the masses.'

Generally, I think these masses don't really know whats best for them. It'd be nice if we could just have the smartest party gets choosen to lead the country... I guess I'm just disappointed that you need to whore your values to be elected in this country.

no1important · February 22, 2006

Tories lose lead in post-vote poll

The honeymoon with Stephen Harper's Conservatives was over before it began, an SES poll provided to Sun Media suggests.
The survey of 1,000 people, conducted Feb. 4-9, puts the Liberals at 34% with the governing Conservatives at 33%, dropping three points from the 36% support they received on election day Jan. 23.

The results leave the parties in a statistical dead heat.

The New Democrats garnered 18% of decided voter support, Quebec's Bloc stood at 9% and the Green Party had 7%. Three percent were undecided. SES notes that due to rounding, percentages don't add up to 100.

So the honeymoon is over. Not to mention the Liberals do not even have a leader and they are 1 point ahead (i know it is within margin of error but still no leader and they are ahead)

Read the rest here

scribblet · February 23, 2006

There's a big difference between a party's support level and a govt's approval level. The latter number takes in members of all other parties willing to give a new govt additional time to prove itself and/ or rope to hang itself.

The one number that stands out is 61% approval in Quebec. Harper honoring Charest with the first premier's visit to 24 Sussex and his willingness to honor Liberal Martin's 5 year child care funding for Quebec should further enhance his stature.

Harper certainly knows where his majority can develop.

Again, steps in the right direction, but no achievement. Why get all excited and start talking about majority when he hasn't done anything in this parliament yet?

This drives me nuts.

I'll stand beside you and give him credit when he actually achieves something.

He can't do anything in parliament cos it hasn't opened yet, and even then he will have a problem getting anything through. Indeed, the liberals will be appointing something like 40 opposition critics, so there will be more than one critic for some portfolios, and teams of Liberals will likely gang up on ministers during Question Period. In particular, this will be true for Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, who is responsible for work that was divided in the previous Liberal government among amultiple ministers; she will be facing four Liberal critics, one of them who specializes in day care. The Liberals are allready planning their take down strategy and likely won't co-operate in parliament.

Hicksey · February 23, 2006

There's a big difference between a party's support level and a govt's approval level. The latter number takes in members of all other parties willing to give a new govt additional time to prove itself and/ or rope to hang itself.

The one number that stands out is 61% approval in Quebec. Harper honoring Charest with the first premier's visit to 24 Sussex and his willingness to honor Liberal Martin's 5 year child care funding for Quebec should further enhance his stature.

Harper certainly knows where his majority can develop.

Again, steps in the right direction, but no achievement. Why get all excited and start talking about majority when he hasn't done anything in this parliament yet?

This drives me nuts.

I'll stand beside you and give him credit when he actually achieves something.

He can't do anything in parliament cos it hasn't opened yet, and even then he will have a problem getting anything through. Indeed, the liberals will be appointing something like 40 opposition critics, so there will be more than one critic for some portfolios, and teams of Liberals will likely gang up on ministers during Question Period. In particular, this will be true for Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, who is responsible for work that was divided in the previous Liberal government among amultiple ministers; she will be facing four Liberal critics, one of them who specializes in day care. The Liberals are allready planning their take down strategy and likely won't co-operate in parliament.

I know this as well as you do.

So, getting back to the title of the thread. What has he done that the majority can approve of? Nothing. The premise behind the poll in question is at fault because there's been nothing except the forming of his cabinet for anyone to approve/disapprove of.

He has made some announcements that he intends to move toward keeping some of the promises he made during the election cycle. I'm even personally happy about a couple of the announcements. But he hasn't actually done anything to achieve them because as you said ...

He can't do anything in parliament cos it hasn't opened yet, and even then he will have a problem getting anything through.

Which is the reason for the post you responded to. What has Harper done for people to approve of? What has Harper done to warrant the back patting going on already? Nothing.

I'm dying to see him succeed. But until that happens, all polls like the one mentioned do is make us conservative followers look like blind sheep. And I loathe to be a sheep. I give credit when its due. None is due yet was my whole point so why bother taking polls about approval ratings for a PM that hasn't even convened a single day of parliament?

I just don't understand the relevance.

Shakeyhands · February 23, 2006

I find it really funny that anybody really thinks anything of him so far.. he hasn't really done anything. Emerson was a poor move as was Fortier. Other than that he's been very well invisible.

no1important · February 24, 2006

The recent national survey of Canadians conducted by SES Research shows that a surprising 12% of voters made their decision in the voting booth while another 19% made it on the Saturday or Sunday preceding Election Day.
Canadian voters in the 2006 federal election were also asked to identify the main reason for the Conservative win. Almost one in two Canadian voters (46%) said that Stephen Harper was elected because it was time for a change. Another one in four Canadian voters (25%) said it was due to the fact that the Liberals needed a “time out.” Eleven percent said that the Conservatives had the best platform while 6% said Stephen Harper was the best federal leader.

6% said Harper was best leader and 11% said Conservatives had best platform. So basically he only won because people wanted a change and to give Liberals a time out. He never won because of his policies.

Read the rest here

justcrowing · February 24, 2006

And then again maybe policies are the changes people want.

Support rises for Conservatives in new poll

Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:00 AM EST

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Conservatives have gained popularity since the

January 23 election and would have a good chance of winning a majority

government if an election were held now, according to an opinion poll

released on Thursday.

Ipsos-Reid said public backing for the Conservatives was 39 percent, up from

the 36.3 percent they won on election day. The Liberals, ousted after 12

years in power, were down to 27 percent from 30.2 percent.

"Such results suggest that if an election were held tomorrow, the

Conservative Party would likely be delivered a majority government," the

pollsters said, noting a strong rise in Conservative support in Quebec.

The Conservatives only have 125 of the 308 seats in Parliament and must rely

on support from other parties to push through their legislation.

The Bloc Quebecois says it will support the government for now because it

does not want to trigger a new election.

The poll was the third survey published in the last three days. A Strategic

Counsel survey for the Globe and Mail on Wednesday put the Conservatives at

39 percent with the Liberals at 28 percent.

But an SES poll on Tuesday showed the Liberals were leading the

Conservatives by 34 to 33 percent. SES has generally been the most accurate

polling firm in Canada and correctly predicted the results of the last two

elections.

The Ipsos-Reid survey of 1,000 people was conducted between February 14 and

16 and is considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out

of 20.

http://tinyurl.com/gofds

shoop · February 24, 2006

The accuracy of SES was just amazing the last election.

For each of the four parties in the House of Commons the last SES poll before the election was off by *exactly* 0.1%. It was remarkable.

These guys are number one in my books after pulling it off two elections in a row. Whatever they are doing is working.

That being said, it is way, way too early to be looking at polls.

But an SES poll on Tuesday showed the Liberals were leading the
Conservatives by 34 to 33 percent. SES has generally been the most accurate

polling firm in Canada and correctly predicted the results of the last two

elections.http://tinyurl.com/gofds

Spike22 · February 24, 2006

Poles are so fleeting. Time will tell come April 10th when the house sits. Should be a real great day to go to the hill to watch the fireworks and festivities.