Good news for federal Liberals as Trudeau holds Cabinet retreat in Nanaimo

Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer

THEĀ latest Nanos federal ballot tracking (August 17) has good news for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even as he holds a Cabinet retreat in Nanaimo, B.C., from August 21 to 23.

The poll shows Trudeau is theĀ preferred choice as prime minister at 39.6 per cent of Canadians – 14 per cent ahead of Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer who is at 25.2 per cent.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was the preferred choice as prime minister at only 8.2 per cent of Canadians, while Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was at 4.6 per cent. Twenty-one per cent of Canadians were unsure whom they preferred.

More than half of Canadians (55.6 per cent) believe Trudeau has the qualities of a good political leader, while 39.9 per cent believe Scheer has the qualities of a good political leader – a difference of more than 15 per cent.

One in three (32 per cent) say Jagmeet Singh has the qualities of a good political leader, while 35.8 per cent believe the same about May. One in six (15.1 per cent) said interim Bloc Quebecois leader Mario Beaulieu has the qualities of a good political leader (Quebec only).

TheĀ Liberals are atĀ 37.5 per cent support and the Conservatives at 33.9 per cent, followed by the NDP at 19 per cent, the Green Party at 5.7 per cent and the Bloc Quebecois at 3.2 per cent.

According to the poll, 49.5 per cent of Canadians say they would consider voting Liberal while 47.9 per cent would consider voting Conservative. Four-in-ten (40.4 per cent) would consider voting NDP, while 28.9 per cent and 30.4 per cent of Canadians would consider voting for the BQ and Green parties, respectively.