 Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff at a fundraising BBQ prior to his cross-country bus tour. (Tony Caldwell, QMI Agency file photo)
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OTTAWA - A majority of Canadians see Prime Minister Stephen Harper as a determined and confident leader but many believe he is also opportunistic and hypocritical -- character traits he shares with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, an exclusive poll for QMI Agency suggests.
The online poll by Leger Marketing suggests 56% of Canadians believe Harper is determined, 55% believe he is confident, but only 28% associate the same attributes with Ignatieff.
"Ignatieff ranks lower on nearly every measure," said David Scholz, vice-president of Leger Marketing, suggesting that after 20 months Canadians still don't know much about the Liberal leader.
"We don't know whether he is determined or confident, we don't know what he can do," Scholz said.
Although Canadians see Harper as determined and confident, it doesn't mean they believe he is acting on behalf of the public good, cautions Scholz. Both leaders are seen to be out for themselves, he said.
Only a quarter of those polled believe Harper is in touch with Canadians, a mere 12% of respondents said the same for Ignatieff.
The Conservative and Liberal leaders are neck and neck, polling in the 40% zone, when it comes to measures of intelligence, opportunism, hypocrisy and being condescending.
Harper is seen to be more responsible and efficient, with 32% attributing those characteristics to him whereas 18%
said Ignatieff was responsible and only 9% viewed him as efficient.
"When you are actually running the country then you have ... a certain role for being responsible, determined and you have to be confident in your decisions," said Carleton University political science professor Jonathan Malloy. "Whereas if you are the leader of the opposition, your job is primarily to be critical. There is no way you can be seen as being determined and on as firm a path as when you are actually prime minister."
The online poll of 1,526 adult Canadian residents was conducted between July 19th and July 22nd and approximates a random sample with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1%, 19 times out of 20.
althia.raj@sunmedia.ca
WHO'S MORE CONDESCENDING?
Ignatieff - 41%
Harper - 40%
RESPONSIBLE
Ignatieff - 18%
Harper - 32%
"People find Stephen Harper condescending because they know him. And they have the same feeling for Michael Ignatieff because they don't know him. The Liberal Express should help to fix that."
- Mike O’Shaughnessy, Spokesman for Michael Ignatieff
EFFICIENT
Ignatieff - 9%
Harper - 32%
IN TUNE WITH CANADIANS
Ignatieff - 12%
Harper - 28%
"More people think Elvis is still alive than believe Michael Ignatieff is in tune with Canadians."
- Brad Lavigne, NDP national director
HYPOCRITICAL
Ignatieff - 39%
Harper - 43%
"Harper was elected on a platform of electoral reform and to stop pandering to Quebec and one by one he has compromised every one of them in the interest of political expediency. That's hypocritical."
- Pat Martin, Manitoba NDP MP
OPPORTUNISTIC
Ignatieff - 41%
Harper - 45%
CONFIDENT
Ignatieff - 28%
Harper - 55%
"Mr. Ignatieff has to overcome the perception that he is just in it for himself."
- Pierre Poilievre, Ontario Conservative MP
DETERMINED
Ignatieff - 28%
Harper - 55%
BRAVE
Ignatieff - 14%
Harper - 26%
"They both come across as risks-adverse ... in confronting major challenges they won't do anything that is politically unpopular."
- Elizabeth May, Green Party Leader
INSIGHTFUL
Ignatieff - 19%
Harper - 25%
WHO'S SMARTER?
Ignatieff - 41%
Harper - 45%
"I don't think people know Michael. They only know him through 15-second sound bites."
- Mark Holland, Ontario Liberal MP
