Conservatives, Liberals in near dead heat: Poll

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By Norma Greenaway, Postmedia News

OTTAWA — The popularity gap between the ruling Conservatives and the Opposition Liberals has narrowed to a near dead heat, suggests a new Ipsos-Reid poll that illustrates why neither party is itching for an election.

The poll says Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives would garner 34 per cent of decided voters if a vote were held now, and Michael Ignatieff's Liberals would get 31 per cent, a difference that falls within the survey's margin of error.

New Democrats would capture 15 per cent, while the Green party and Bloc Quebecois would each get nine per cent of decided voters.

The poll, conducted exclusively for Postmedia News and Global National from Thursday through Monday, is the second in the past week to say the Conservatives' comfortable and longtime lead over the Liberals has evaporated.