Liberals zoom past CAQ with 7-point lead, new poll shows

A new poll suggests the Couillard Liberals are picking up steam in voter popularity, opening up a seven-point lead over the Coalition Avenir Québec.

The CROP online survey, conducted Sept. 12-17 for Cogeco Media, gives the Liberals 37 per cent overall support followed by the CAQ at 30 per cent and the Parti Québécois trailing a distant third at 16 per cent. Québec solidaire polled 14 per cent.

While the survey ’s overall results are bad news for the CAQ, the poll points out that the party remains in first place with francophone voters, garnering about a third of the support from a demographic that regularly decides elections in Quebec.

Asked who would be the best premier, 28 per cent of respondents chose Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard, four points more than the support given CAQ Leader François Legault.

When asked which leader most represented change, 28 per cent chose Legault, 19 per cent Manon Massé of Québec solidaire, 16 per cent chose Couillard and nine per cent chose PQ Leader Jean-François Lisée.

A total of 28 per cent of respondents said they felt the CAQ was the party that most represented change while the Liberals and Québec Solidaire were tied at 17 per cent and the PQ polled nine per cent.

A CROP survey conducted last Aug. 23 had the CAQ leading with 38 per cent support, two points ahead of the Liberals, indicating that in the space of a month, the CAQ have dropped eight points while the Liberals gained one.

To conduct its most recent survey, CROP collected 1,000 questionnaires that were completed by Quebecers age 18 and over. Presse Canadienne