New poll shows still no majority for Harper

A new poll suggests Prime Minister Stephen Harper might want to think twice about calling an election if he hopes to win a majority government.

The Decima survey, provided to The Canadian Press, puts the Tories at 35 per cent support nationally, with the Liberals at 31 per cent. The Conservatives would likely need at least 40 per cent support to secure a majority.

In Quebec, the Tories finished ahead of the Liberals for the first time in five months with 25 per cent support. The Liberals were at 20 per cent, while the Bloc Quebecois led with 34 per cent. But in Ontario, the Liberals held a commanding eight-point lead, with 41 per cent backing compared to 33 per cent for the Conservatives.

So what does this mean? Well there is a lot of volatility in the electorate and support seems to shift as the headlines in the media change. As well, these polls individually are not terribly accurate but when looking at a series of poll results you can certainly identify trends. So the Stephen Harper is taking a risk in calling an election this spring. Not only might he fail to gain a majority, but there is some risk of losing altogether.