April 15th 2011: Members are equally likely to say the Conservatives and the Liberals offer the best platforms for older Canadians, and they are equally likely to say each has run the best campaign. The Conservatives’ (and the NDPs’) ratings for having a program for older Canadians have declined in the past two weeks.

Stephen Harper is preferred for leadership, being honest and trustworthy and for being likely to fulfill his promises. Michael Ignatieff is preferred for respecting our democratic institutions and Jack Layton is preferred for genuinely having the well-being of Canadians at heart. Stephen Harper’s rating for honesty and trust has declined since the last wave of polling.

Members are not surprised seniors’ issues are front and centre in this campaign, they overwhelmingly think this should be the case but they do not expect it to continue after the election

Somewhat fewer than half our members have met at least one local candidate and about a tenth are involved in a local campaign. The Conservative candidate they met was just slightly preferred to the Liberal candidate.

Just less than half of members think issues important to them are being discussed in this election, and just less than half think not. Members agree they can have an effect on political change with their vote, and that they will switch parties they usually vote for in order to drive change.

The vast majority of members voted in the last federal election and will vote in the coming election. Somewhat fewer than half claim they are “very” or more likely to watch the CARP Debate™.

The Conservatives and Liberals are tied once more, after a brief surge for the Conservatives immediately after the election writ was dropped. Apart from this anomaly, the parties have been tied in political preference for two months, and this usually indicates a lead for the Liberals among the general population, due to the CARP member propensity to support the Conservative party. Members prefer any Liberal-led government (including an NDP coalition) to any Conservative-led government as an electoral outcome.

To read a detailed poll report complete with charts, click here

Keywords: election