Nik Nanos Leadership: PM Harper leads with 34 point gap.

Good news for Liberals, Ignatieff may have hit rock bottom at 11% for trustworthiness. Ignatieff has managed to hold on with a two point lead against Gilles Duceppe. The problem for the Liberals,  PM Stephen Harper has a significant lead on every category. Every pollster has captured the decline in support for the leader of the Liberal Party. This decline was quicker than Dion's and an election campaign totaling six weeks may deliver another historical low as a result. No platform, no policy, relentless smears, personal attacks, pitting Canadians against each other. Polls favour government cut waste and their own budgets vs tax increases. The Liberals are rallying behind every cut as a permanent entitlement to the federal tax trough. They have invoked a war of culture and character assassination behind parliamentary privilege. It is NOT working. Voters show up to mark a ballot, it is a confirmation they believe in your policies and platform. The Liberals have successfully demonstrated they have no interest in providing an alternative or debating those inside Parliament with an adult conversation. Some MP's in the back benches should denounce this strategy and risk running as an independent. Having your own voice, ideas worked for Andre Arthur, Bill Casey, John Nunziata to respect the interest of the local constituents.

The constant mudslinging by the opposition appears to be sticking to the NDP as Layton's leadership numbers have begun a downward slide. Will  the NDP continue to follow the strategy of voter suppression, cultural war in an attempt to save the furniture by the Liberals?

Will they join the Bloc and Liberals pitting region and against region?

Months ago, some of us noted the NDP did not join the Liberals in calling an unnecessary or unwanted election. We hoped they would find a third way to replace the Liberals as the official opposition by finding some common ground on the larger issues and supporting restraints of government to address fiscal reality.

Instead of adopting a mainstream fiscal platform supported by the majority of Canadians, the NDP will hold on to their ideological position of the Robin Hood fairy tales and wealth redistribution. The lesson of socialism in Eastern Europe 1945-1990's have been ignored. The NDP refusal to understand the effect of these socialist policies in Greece, Portugal, Spain, California. The steady increase of taxes, fees being levied by cities, provinces and federal governments and the lack of capacity for the middle class to absorb another tax increase. The increase of our standard of living as a direct result of Canada's growing expansion into Global trade. They wanted to fight the American rise of protectionism by adding more protectionism in Canada. The NDP have taken the mantle of special interests again in blocking every free trade deal being negotiated by Canada. This is not the responsible third way, Canada has a relatively small population of 34 million, we are export nation that is highly dependent in accessing more markets for our products and services to maintain our standard of living. Erecting barriers, relying on internal trade won't work.


The most trustworthy leader
Stephen Harper: 23.9% (-1.1)
Jack Layton: 16.8% (-4.0)
Michael Ignatieff: 11.0% (+0.6)
Elizabeth May: 6.8% (-3.0)
Gilles Duceppe: 9.0% (+1.2)
None of them/Undecided: 32.6% (+6.4)

The most competent leader
Stephen Harper: 30.2% (-3.4)
Jack Layton: 11.7% (-2.5)
Michael Ignatieff: 15.1% (+1.2)
Elizabeth May: 2.2% (-1.2)
Gilles Duceppe: 8.2% (+1.7)
None of them/Undecided: 32.6% (+4.2%)

The leader with the best vision for Canada’s future
Stephen Harper: 25.1% (-1.7)
Jack Layton: 16.3% (-0.9)
Michael Ignatieff: 14.7% (-1.3)
Elizabeth May: 5.2% (-1.2)
Gilles Duceppe: 3.9% (+1.0)
None of them/Undecided: 34.6% (+3.9)


Leadership Index Score
Stephen Harper: 79.2 (-6.2)
Jack Layton: 44.8 (-7.4)
Michael Ignatieff: 40.8 (+0.5)
Elizabeth May: 14.2 (-5.4)
Gilles Duceppe: 21.1 (+3.9)

Source here

The choice is clear on priorities, the coalition should unite as a single ballot choice and give Canadians an honest option in 2010-2011. Increased free trade, more competition at home and access to a global market or a socialist nanny state that promised to punish the "rich", "grotesque profits" earned by big banks, oil companies.  Canadians are much smarter than the merry men of Robin Hood Tax Party. Mel brooks movie clip here.

As a public service an update from an important product placement opportunity here. Face-book advice for those unhappy with Harper here.