Skip to main content

If the Liberals are weighing an election, how does the opposition stack up?

Share
Toronto -

Speculation about a federal election is growing as Canada's federal party leaders hold campaign-style events across the country. On this week’s episode of Trend Line, Nanos Research's Nik Nanos breaks down where the opposition leaders stand in popular support.



Erin O'Toole

According to Nanos, the Conservative leader's path to power runs directly through Ontario. If O'Toole can't win the battleground ridings in Canada's most populous province, it is "hard to see a scenario" where he will be able to defeat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"They have to really wage war on the ground in Ontario in order to pick up support," said Nanos.

Jagmeet Singh

Canadians generally have a positive view of the NDP leader, but that didn't translate to additional support in the 2019 federal election. So what does Jagmeet Singh have to change to mount a serious challenge in the next campaign?

Nanos says Singh needs to recapture some "old-style NDP magic from Jack Layton" because the party may benefit from strategic voting, but warned the New Democrats will still face significant challenges in Quebec.

Annamie Paul

Canada's Green Party has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the past month, and Nanos warns that Annamie Paul needs to quell infighting in the party, which has eroded public goodwill from her leadership campaign.

Nanos says that voting Green was a choice "three out of every 10 Canadians would consider," but the current infighting has "diminished the enthusiasm."

Yves-Francois Blanchet

The Bloc Quebecois made strong gains in the last federal election, and that support came primarily at the expense of the NDP. The challenge for Yves-Francois Blanchet in the next election will be to keep the Liberals at bay, with Nanos warning Trudeau's party could be extremely competitive in a number of races in Quebec.

"The Liberals have been eating the Bloc's lunch," warned Nanos. "They've been basically stealing a lot of the planks that naturally would be strengths for the Bloc."

Listen to the full episode of Trend Line with CTVNews.ca's Michael Stittle and Nanos Research's Nik Nanos wherever you get your podcasts or by clicking on the video at the top of this article.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

U.S. Secret Service director resigns after Trump assassination attempt

The director of the Secret Service is stepping down from her job, according to an email she sent to staff, following the assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump that unleashed intensifying outcry about how the agency tasked with protecting current and former presidents could fail in its core mission.

Do you need a lawyer when making a will in Canada?

Many people believe that creating a will requires the services of a lawyer, but this isn't always the case. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew explains a lawyer's role when crafting your last will and testament.

Local Spotlight

Video shows B.C. grizzly basking in clawfoot tub

A donated clawfoot bathtub has become the preferred lounging spot for a pair of B.C. grizzly bears, who have been taking turns relaxing and reclining in it – with minimal sibling squabbling – for the past year.

Stay Connected