Winnipeg – As the starting gun sounds on the 2011 federal election campaign, the Conservative Party enters the race well ahead of its rivals in Manitoba, a Probe Research Inc. March telephone survey of 1,000 Manitoba adults conducted exclusively for the Winnipeg Free Press reveals. The party’s big lead, however, is mostly based on its dominance in its rural Manitoba stronghold. Within Winnipeg, it is a substantially closer race.

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Labels: 2011 federal election, Conservative Party, Green Party, Liberal Party, Manitoba politics, NDP, Probe Research

Winnipeg - Manitoba's federal political scene continues to be placid, a new Probe Research survey for the Winnipeg Free Press reveals.

As the federal Conservative government prepares to celebrate five years in power, the party remains solidly popular with Manitoba voters, with nearly one-half of decided adult voters (48%, +1% versus September) presently indicating they would cast ballots for this party in a hypothetical federal election. After fluctuating somewhat earlier in the year, support for the Liberals (26%, +1% versus September), the New Democrats (19%, +1% versus September) and the Green Party (5%, -1% versus September) are essentially unchanged from three months ago. Twelve percent of those surveyed were undecided, with an additional five percent refusing to reveal which party’s candidate they would cast ballots for if an election were held tomorrow.

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Labels: Conservative Party, federal politics, Green Party, Liberal Party, NDP, Probe Research

Winnipeg – The federal Conservative government continues to be perceived by Manitoba’s corporate executives as the most “business-friendly” level of government, a new survey by Probe Research Inc. reveals.

The latest edition of the Manitoba Business Leaders’ Index asked Manitoba’s business owners and executives to rate the three levels of government on their respective efforts to create a “good climate” for business. The federal government is still considered by executives in the province to be doing the most to create a positive business climate, with nearly four-in-ten (38%) indicating this level of government is doing an “excellent” or “good” job in this regard.

While the federal government received favourable ratings from executives, municipal governments in the province improved their standing among business leaders and are now virtually tied with the federal government in terms of business approval. A growing proportion of CEOs (37%, up from 29% in early 2010) said local municipalities are doing an “excellent” or “good” job of encouraging business growth.

The provincial NDP government, meanwhile, continues to be viewed less favourably by Manitoba business leaders. Just slightly more than one-in-four respondents (27%) shared the view that the provincial government’s business policies have been “excellent” or “good.”

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Labels: City of Winnipeg, Conservative Party, federal politics, Manitoba Business Leaders Index, NDP, Probe Research, provincial politics

Winnipeg – Federal Conservatives and Liberals in Manitoba have reason to cheer while New Democrats and Greens might be licking their wounds after a new Probe Research Inc. poll for the Winnipeg Free Press shows the Conservatives and Liberals have recovered from a slump in voter support in the Keystone Province.

The governing Conservatives continue to enjoy a large lead over their rivals in Manitoba, with nearly one-half of voters (47%) now indicating they would cast ballots for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s party. As the graph on the following page shows, Conservative support has increased by three percentage points in the past three months (from 44% in June to 47%). Meanwhile, Michael Ignatieff’s Liberals have leapfrogged the NDP into second place, climbing to 25 percent support in Manitoba (up from 21% in June).

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Labels: Conservative Party, federal politics, Green Party, Liberal Party, Manitoba politics, NDP, Probe Research

Winnipeg – A survey of Manitoba’s Aboriginal voters reveals that indigenous people within the province overwhelmingly prefer the New Democratic Party at the provincial level, but spread their support more evenly when voting in federal elections.

These findings, taken from quarterly surveys by Probe Research Inc. for its Indigenous Voices syndicated study, reveal that when casting ballots in provincial elections, nearly six-in-ten Aboriginal Manitobans (57%) back the governing New Democrats. One-in-five Aboriginal voters (21%) expressed support for the provincial Liberal Party, while fewer than one-in-five (17%)indicated they would cast ballots for the Progressive Conservative Party. Fifteen percent of surveyed Aboriginal adults were unable or unwilling to name a preferred provincial party.

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Labels: Aboriginal voting patterns, Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Manitoba Liberal Party, Manitoba politics, NDP, Probe Research, Progressive Conservative Party