Support for B.C. Conservatives slips after leaders' debate: poll
There are fewer people planning to vote B.C. Conservative following last week's televised leaders' debate, according to a new survey that found most viewers felt John Rustad performed "poorly" against his political rivals.
The latest polling from the Angus Reid Institute was conducted in the five days after Rustad faced off against B.C. NDP Leader David Eby and B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau, in an event that saw the three opponents trade barbs on issues from housing to health care.
While post-debate support for the NDP remained static at 45 per cent, support for the Conservatives slid to 40 per cent – a decline of four percentage points from the previous ARI survey conducted in September.
Support for Furstenau's Greens surged to 12 per cent, an increase of two percentage points.
The Green leader fared best in the debate, according to the poll, with 79 per cent of respondents either feeling she performed "well" or "very well."
By comparison, 63 per cent of respondents felt Eby performed "well" or "very well," while only 38 per cent said the same about Rustad.
"Furstenau is perhaps buoyed by her well-received debate performance, while Rustad is perhaps dragged down by his, which was criticized by many including one assessment calling his performance ‘cadaverous,’” the Angus Reid Institute noted.
With only days to go until the Oct. 19 election, Rustad's party also "appears to have lost crucial momentum in districts south of the Fraser River, notably Richmond, Surrey and Delta," according to pollsters.
The ARI noted that softening support comes in the wake of controversies surrounding two Conservative candidates in Metro Vancouver – both of whom remain in the party.
One of them, embattled Surrey South candidate Brent Chapman, faced new backlash Sunday for past Facebook remarks casting doubt on the official accounts of mass shooting events in Canada and the U.S.
The full survey results, including regional breakdowns of voter intentions, are available online.
The Angus Reid Institute poll was conducted online from Oct. 9 to 13 among a representative sample of 2,863 adults who are living in B.C. and are members of the Angus Reid Forum.
A probability sample of that size would carry a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, according to the company.
- Compare platforms from B.C.’s three biggest political parties
- Get important information on casting your ballot in B.C.
- See which candidates are running in your riding
- View live election results beginning at 8 p.m. on voting day
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates Car security investigation: How W5 'stole' a car using a device we ordered online
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
'The Woodstock of our generation': Taylor Swift photographer credits email to her connection with the superstar
Taylor Swift has millions of fans worldwide, but Brampton, Ont.'s Jasmeet Sidhu has gotten closer to the musical icon than most.
opinion Why the new U.S. administration won't have much time for us
In a column for CTVNews.ca, former Conservative Party political advisor and strategist Rudy Husny says that when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau goes to the G-20 summit next week, it will look more like his goodbye tour.
A look at how much mail Canada Post delivers, amid a strike notice
Amid a potential postal worker strike, here’s a look at how many letters and parcels the corporation delivers and how those numbers have changed in the internet age.
What makes walking so great for your health and what else you need to do
Medical experts agree that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. While it’s not the only sort of exercise people should do, it’s a great first step toward a healthy life.
India's 'most wanted terrorist' arrested on gun charges in Canada
One of India's most wanted terrorists has been arrested and charged in connection with a recent alleged shooting in Ontario.
'A tremendous inconvenience': Rural communities prepare for potential postal disruptions
The inability to send and receive letter mail won’t be the main pitfall of a service disruption. The biggest concern for rural communities will be parcel delivery. Small communities often rely on online deliveries for items they cannot find locally.
Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's promise to slap an across-the-board tariff of at least 10 per cent on all imports including from Canada is unlikely to apply to Canadian oil, energy experts are predicting.
U.S. Congress hosts second round of UFO hearings
The U.S. government held another UFO hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the second such hearing in 16 months. This hearing was billed as an attempt by congress to provide a better understanding of what is known about previous sightings of UFOs, also known as UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena).