Some of Paul Martin’s supporters may have switched allegiance to the NDP, according to a new poll.
The poll, conducted by Ekos Research, showed the NDP has 21 per cent of voter support, about five percentage points above 2004 election results.
The Liberals still had a slim lead over the Conservatives in public support, but not nearly enough to hope for a majority government.
The poll, done for the Toronto Star, gave the Liberals 33 per cent support and the Conservatives 28 per cent.
The Bloc Québécois also saw a bit of a gain. The results suggested the separatist party could win 13 per cent of the vote if an election were held now, up from 12.4 per cent last year. Fifty-three per cent of the respondents in Quebec said they would support the Bloc.
About 68 per cent of respondents who voted Liberal in the last election said they intend to vote the same way next time, and 87 per cent of Tory voters from 2004 said they would stick with their party.
Thirteen per cent who voted for the Liberals last time said they would now vote for the NDP. About five per cent of Conservative voters said they would switch to the New Democrats.