With less than two weeks until the provincial election, a new popular opinion survey conducted by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute shows Manitoba New Democrats opening up a lead over the Progressive Conservatives.
A survey of 900 Manitoba adults conducted between September 13 and 19 showed the NDP with 47 per cent support, 41 per cent for the PCs and nine per cent for the Manitoba Liberals.
Within Winnipeg, home to a majority of the seats in the Manitoba Legislature, the NDP has a 22-percentage-point lead over the PCs, 53 to 31 per cent. Outside Winnipeg, the Tories have a 15-point advantage over the NDP, 53 to 38 per cent.
The survey suggests a majority of voters in this election intend to vote against a party rather than for it. Angus Reid said 43 per cent of the Manitobans surveyed intend to cast a vote for a party or leader they really like, while 57 per cent intend to vote against another party or leader.
The poll suggests Manitoba voters are not overly enamoured with PC Leader Heather Stefanson — but have a more favourable view of Wab Kinew.
The NDP leader is viewed favourably by 48 per cent of survey respondents, while Stefanson's favourability is 17 per cent.
Asked who would be the best premier, 34 per cent of survey respondents chose Kinew, 23 per cent selected Stefanson and 11 per cent said Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont would be optimal. Significantly, 21 per cent said none of the leaders would make the best premier.
The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.
