Carney Liberals Enjoy Post-Davos Polling Surge as Conservatives Hold Leadership Review
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, appears to have generated a measurable boost in support for the federal Liberal Party, according to newly released polling data. The positive momentum comes as the Conservative Party solidifies its leadership structure following a decisive weekend convention.
Polling Numbers Show Clear Liberal Advantage
Fresh polling figures released Monday by Liaison Strategies reveal the federal Liberals currently hold an eight-percentage-point lead over the Conservatives among decided voters. The survey indicates that 43% of respondents would support the Liberals if an election were held today, compared to 35% favoring the Conservatives.
Prime Minister Carney's personal approval rating remains robust at 64%, with only 33% of Canadians expressing disapproval of his performance. These numbers suggest the prime minister's international platform at Davos resonated with a significant portion of the electorate.
"It really suggests that the prime minister got a bump from the speech and, of course, the only thing better than the speech for some Canadians is the international coverage," said David Valentin, principal at Liaison Strategies. "Watching CNN, the BBC and other outlets covering Canadian news is always exciting for a subsection of Canadians."
Demographic and Regional Support Patterns
The Liberal Party's strongest support continues to come from older demographic groups, with 49% of Canadians aged 50 to 64 expressing preference for the Grits. Support among younger age cohorts remains more evenly divided between Liberals and Conservatives.
Regionally, the Liberals maintain their strongest footholds in Atlantic Canada (54% support) and Ontario (48% support). The party has also made notable gains in Quebec, where they now lead the Bloc Quebecois by eight percentage points with 38% support.
"(Carney's) approval has been high in Quebec, but the voting intentions have really not followed there until lately," Valentin observed regarding the shifting Quebec political landscape.
Conservative support remains concentrated in Western Canada, where the party leads the Liberals by significant margins in Alberta (53% to 33%), Manitoba and Saskatchewan (48% to 32%). The Tories trail the Liberals by just four percentage points in British Columbia.
Poilievre Faces Favorability Challenge
While Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre received an overwhelming mandate from party members at their Calgary convention over the weekend, the broader electorate appears less enthusiastic. The poll shows only 37% of Canadians hold favorable views of Poilievre, while 56% report unfavorable opinions.
"Mr. Poilievre has been messaging to the base making sure he wins his leadership review and he's done that, it's gone very well," Valentin noted. "I think what will be interesting now is how does he pivot — if he does pivot — towards the general electorate."
Methodology and Context
The Liaison Strategies poll was conducted between January 19 and January 31, surveying 1,000 Canadians with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The New Democratic Party registered just 11% support nationally, reaching double digits only in Ontario and British Columbia.
These polling numbers arrive at a critical juncture in Canadian politics, as the Carney government seeks to maintain its momentum while the Conservative opposition works to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional base following a successful leadership review process.
