If a federal election were held today, who would you vote for?  According to an Angus Reid Institute survey, the two main parties are in a statistical tie. Speculation is that we are no more than a month away from a federal election campaign. The poll shows  the incumbent Liberals under leader Justin Trudeau a mere two points ahead of the Conservative Party led by Erin O’Toole; 33 per cent versus 31 per cent.
The NDP remains in third place at 20 per cent, with the Green Party at three per cent and Bloc Quebecois at seven per cent nationally.

Angus Reid says these numbers come as focus on the Trudeau government’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic falls to its lowest point since the crisis began.

The pollster says, handling of the pandemic has been a relative strength for the Liberal government over the last year and a half. Now, only 19 per cent identify it as a top issue. That’s down from 45 per cent in March. Of greater concern to voters are matters of climate change, economic recovery, the size of the deficit, and Indigenous issues, the latter of which has picked up in recent months.

More Key Findings:
While the Liberal lead is slim, it is concentrated in key regions of the country. The party leads the CPC by four points in British Columbia and Ontario, and is competitive with the BQ in Quebec, well ahead of the Conservatives.
Prime Minister Trudeau has an approval rating of 40 per cent this quarter. Just nine per cent strongly approve of his performance, while 39 per cent strongly disapprove.
Three-in-five Canadians have an unfavourable view of CPC leader Erin O’Toole, the highest level since he took over leadership of the party
As for the prospect of another Liberal victory – the nation is split. While few say they’d be “thrilled” (6 per cent), a significant segment say it’s an outcome that would leave them “content” (33 per cent). The rest are less sunny about it: one-quarter would be unhappy with that result (25 per cent), while close to three-in-ten would be distraught (28 per cent).