NDP blow past Liberals, close on Conservatives

The Canadian Press:

Ottawa - A new poll suggests the high-flying NDP have indeed soared past the Liberals and closed in on the Conservatives.

The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey puts Jack Layton's party solidly in second place, just five percentage points behind the Tories.

The Conservatives are at 35 per cent support nationally, with the NDP at 30 per cent and the Liberals at 22 per cent.

The results indicate the New Democrats have doubled their support since the campaign began late last month — thanks mainly to huge gains among Quebecers and women voters.

The poll has the NDP with a 20-point lead over the Bloc Quebecois — 42 per cent to 22 per cent — and leading the Conservatives by one point among female respondents.

It also suggests significant gains in B.C., where the NDP is two points behind the Tories and 21 points ahead of the Liberals.

The key battleground of Ontario remains a rare bright spot for the Liberals. Michael Ignatieff's party led there, supported by 34 per cent of respondents compared with 33 per cent for the Tories and 25 for the NDP.

The telephone poll of 1,011 respondents was conducted April 20-27. The national figures are considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The regional breakdowns have a smaller sample size and larger margin of error.