Top Conservative Party of Canada leadership contender Pierre Poilievre is appealing more to voters who have previously put their support behind his party and that of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), while his rival Jean Charest is attracting centre-left voters, a new Angus Reid Institute survey says.
According to the survey, 54 per cent of respondents who voted for the Conservative Party last fall, and 74 per cent who voted for Maxime Bernier’s PPC, say Poilievre’s candidacy in the race appeals to them.
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Meanwhile, 32 per cent of respondents who voted for the incumbent Liberals and 19 per cent of past NDP voters say Charest is the most appealing candidate.
For the third time in five years, the Conservative Party is undergoing a leadership race to determine who will navigate the base following the ousting of Erin O’Toole.
Prospective candidates have until April 19 to declare their candidacy. As was the case in the 2020 leadership race, the entryxjmtzyw fee stands at $200,000, in addition to a compliance deposit of $100,000.
The deadline for applications is June 3, with the party slated to elect a new leader on Sept. 10.
To date, Poilievre, Charest, Leslyn Lewis, Patrick Brown, Roman Baber, Joseph Bourgault, Scott Aitchison, and Marc Dalton have formally entered the race.
The Angus Reid survey compares the overall popularity of Poilievre, Charest, Lewis, and Brown, noting that between March 10 and 15 respondents listed Poilievre as the most appealing candidate at 25 per cent, followed by Charest at 20 per cent, Lewis at 14 per cent and Brown at six per cent.
It later narrows in on Poilievre and Charest.
Regionally, the former is gaining popularity in Alberta and Saskatchewan, while the latter holds slightly broader appeal in Ontario. The two are neck in neck in British Columbia, Charest beats out Poilievre in Atlantic Canada, and Poilievre narrowly takes the lead in Quebec.
The survey also states that both Poilievre and Charest have the capability to boost the party’s support to approximately 42 per cent in a federal election. In the 2021 election, the Conservatives gained just over 35 per cent of the vote, while the Liberals picked up 47 per cent.
“Poilievre gets there by inspiring and rallying the current core Conservative base, along with voters who turned to the PPC in the last election. For Charest, the route depends on convincing past centrist voters to look at a more moderate Conservative Party under his leadership,” the survey reads.
METHODOLOGY
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from March 10-15, 2022 among a representative randomized sample of 5,105 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. This survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.
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Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidates Jean Charest, left, and Pierre Poilievre. (The Canadian Press)
