The latest Harris Decima poll has some good news for Canadians weary of the incessantly bickering Tory minority government: most voters are ready for a majority government and more voters would prefer a Liberal majority government than a Tory one.
However, given that the LPC and PCP have around 32-33% support each (as shown by several other polls), there is little likelihood right now, in my opinion, that the Liberals will gain a majority in the next election.
And this is where the good news comes in: the Harris Decima poll shows that Canadians have warmed up to the idea of a Liberal-NDP coalition government.
Eleven percent of respondents strongly support the idea of a coalition government, while 34% support it (a total of 45% in favour). Those who oppose it are split into two equal camps – 21% oppose it and 21% strongly oppose it - for a total of 42% against.
However, the breakdown of those for and against is even more revealing than these bare numbers suggest.
So to summarize: Liberals and NDP and Bloc supporters would prefer a majority coalition government while Tory supporters would not. The margin in favour of a majority coalition government is substantial amongst supporters of the Liberals, NDP and Bloc. More men oppose than support it while more women support it than oppose it.
More voters oppose a coalition government in Ontario (one of the two major battleground provinces) than support it – with 40% for and 46% against. The battleground province of BC has 44% for and 40% against. Quebec favours a coalition government by 50% over 38%.
Conservatives really dislike the idea of a coalition government (not surprisingly, because the chances are it would not be a Tory government in such a formal coalition), with a whopping 62% opposed.
Liberals favour a coalition government (57% for and 37% against), a margin of 20% in favour of a coalition government.
Jack Layton's supporters also favour a coalition with 54% for and 30% against (a margin of 24% in favour).
Bloc supporters have a big margin favouring a coalition government (63% for and 25% against for a positive majority of 38%, the biggest margin of approval of all parties).
More males oppose a coalition government (42% for and 46% against), while the reverse is true for women (47% for and only 38% against).
