Liberals Will Continue to Avoid Parliamentary Votes

A new Angus Reid online survey reveals some alarming trends for the Liberals and Stephane Dion. The Liberals are polling at their lowest level since Dion was made leader. The party numbers are:

The Conservatives enjoy the support of 36 per cent of Canadians – roughly the same level as the 2006 election – but the Liberals have dropped to 26 per cent, down two percentage points in the last month and four percentage points from the 2006 vote, according to the poll.

The New Democrats are at 18 per cent, the Bloc Québécois at 9 per cent and the Green party, which enjoyed a strong showing in the March 17 by-elections, is at 9 per cent, double its support in the 2006 federal election.

Conservatives numbers are similar to their showing in the last election. The real reason for the 10 point gap is clearly erosion on the Liberal side, down from 31% at the beginning of February to a new bottom of 26%.

However, that question aside, Dion's numbers are abysmal. Only 11% of Canadians approve of Dion's performance, down a full 6 point since February. Equally concerning, Dion's disapproval numbers have reached towering heights, a full 57% disapprove, a rise of 7 points.

So the Liberals have no choice but to avoid bringing down the Conservative government by avoiding votes where they disagree with the government. However, the strategy is likely contributing to their eroding support. Obviously, the Liberals are waiting for a miraculous turn around. I just don't see it happening short of a scandal on the scale of the Liberal sponsorship mess.