Conservatives soar in opinion poll [View All]

[tuvor]

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Conservatives are riding their highest level of public support in almost 20 years, and would win a majority government if an election were held now, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday.

The Ipsos-Reid survey of 1,003 voters gave the Conservatives 43 percent support, compared with just 25 percent for the opposition Liberal Party. It was the highest level of support for the Conservatives since 1988.

The Conservatives, led by Stephen Harper, won a minority government in the January 23 federal election. A new election doesn't have to be held for five years, although minority governments in Canada traditionally last only 18 months or so.

"People are still giving Harper a pretty good honeymoon," pollster Darrell Bricker told the National Post newspaper, which published the survey. "And it just seems to be getting stronger as we move along."

http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-05-23T121314Z_01_N23451969_RTRIDST_0_CANADA-POLITICS-POLL-COL.XML