Saturday, September 15, 2007

Just a Few More Ontario Polls

This one has the Libs up by a mere three points, 40% to 37% with NDP and Green party at 16% and 6% respectively. Though it has McGuinty at the cusp of a majority, and shows how putting John Tory's Education policies front and center seems to have worked for the Libs, it also confirms the tight race predicted by yesterday's Angus Reid survey, which had the Libs up 39% to 37%.

Angus Reid also had some bad news for us MMP supporters:

The poll also asked Ontarians to voice their views on the referendum on electoral reform, which will take place on the same day as the legislative ballot. A third of respondents (33%) would keep the existing first-past-the-post electoral system, while 26 per cent would switch to the alternative mixed-member-proportional system. Three per cent of respondents would not participate on this plebiscite, and 38 per cent remain undecided.

Getting from 26% to 60% is going to be a heck of a long slog.

7 comments:

Oxford County Liberals said...

An online poll. That in itself makes the results of both polls questionable at best.

bigcitylib said...

True, but I can't imagine even dedicated FREEPING could skew the results that much. And you have to CARE about an issue to try and prank a poll, and I don't think there is a widespread love/hate of the MMP proposals, outside of the blogging community at least.

bigcitylib said...

PS I am talking about the MMP question, not the general election question.

Ti-Guy said...

I'm surprised support for MMP is at 26%. I'm getting the impression hardly anyone's aware of the upcoming referendum.

That guy said...

Yeah, I'm actually a little bit encouraged that support for MMP is actually as high as that, considering how little publicity it's gotten. Still, long slog indeed.

Lord Kitchener's Own said...

Personally, I've been really worried about MMP's chances for a while now. I'll do what I can, but I don't think it'll get anywhere near the 60% needed (hope I'm wrong!). Then again, if MMP can do better than whatever party wins the election, THAT would be something. After all, if the Liberals WIN with 40% of the vote, and MMP LOSES with 50% of the vote, that would be quite embarrassing!

One of the reasons electoral reform is still on the agenda in B.C. is that the government was really embarrassed (or should have been) that they won a majority government with less than 50% of the vote, while STV LOST with 58% of the vote. It's embarrassing AND the perfect example of how messed up FPTP is!!!

BOSKREATION said...

If the Citizen's Assembly had lightened up a bit they could have seen the fabulous prospect of making the parties create lists not for their own, but for their opposing parties.

This would greatly enhance the "weeding-out" process of the self-promoters, unelectable mandarins and other politically-correct toadies who are eagerly waiting in line to get on a list and into parliament without the handshaking, baby-kissing and those dreadful all-candidates meetings.

Perhaps this could be a seasonal event, around the time of traditional turkey-shoots.