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A new Forum Research poll shows the federal Conservatives in a statistical tie with the Liberals in public support, meaning the Tories have closed a large gap that had Justin Trudeaus party out in front after he was elected leader last year.

The so-called Trudeau effect saw the Liberals leading the Conservatives in the polls by 10 points as recently as this spring, but a Forum survey of 1,500 voters conducted Wednesday and Thursday shows that lead has evaporated 36 per cent now support the Liberals and 33 per cent back the Conservatives, a virtual tie given the sample size.

The official Opposition NDP is at 18 per cent.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been dealt a strong hand of cards recently, and hes playing them well, said Forum president Lorne Bozinoff.

Opposition leaders always have difficulty gaining traction in wartime; theres little they can disagree on with the government without seeming unpatriotic or insufficiently supportive of the troops, Bozinoff explained, referring to the NDP and Liberals.

Harper has garnered a lot of media attention after the Conservative government vote in the House last month that paved the way for Canadian airstrikes in the Middle East to combat the ISIS terror threat.

Last months Forum survey had the Liberals with what the pollster called a statistical lead over the Conservatives 38 per cent to 34 per cent respectively. The NDP was at 19 per cent.

Contrast that with May, when the Liberals were at 39 per cent support to 30 per cent for the Tories in a Forum poll from that time. The New Democrats were at 20 per cent support.

Results from the latest poll, conducted through a random, interactive voice response telephone survey, are considered accurate plus or minus 3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The rest is here:
Conservatives catch up to Liberals in latest poll

Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, sitting on a bench in Lafayette Square across from the White House before a television interview, Washington, D.C., Oct. 24, 2013. Trudeau was on his first trip to Washington to attend a policy conference held by The Center for American Progress where he sat on a panel titled "Global Perspectives" with former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard and former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Louie Palu

Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, sitting in the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel, Washington, D.C., Oct. 24, 2013. Trudeau was on his first trip to Washington to attend a policy conference held by The Center for American Progress where he sat on a panel titled "Global Perspectives" with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Louie Palu

Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, sitting in the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel, Washington, D.C., Oct. 24, 2013. Trudeau was on his first trip to Washington to attend a policy conference held by The Center for American Progress where he sat on a panel titled "Global Perspectives" with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Louie Palu

Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, sitting in the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel, Washington, D.C., Oct. 24, 2013. Trudeau was on his first trip to Washington to attend a policy conference held by The Center for American Progress where he sat on a panel titled "Global Perspectives" with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Justin Trudeau trains at Pan Am Boxing Club in Winnipeg on Friday Feb. 1, 2013.

Justin Trudeau & co. making faces.

Justin Trudeau splits his pants while pushing the "scrum machine" in support of Prostate Cancer Canada in Toronto Thursday, July 21, 2011.

Justin Trudeau gets his geek on at Montreal Comiccon in September 2012.

Justin Trudeau has his moustache shaved off to raise money for the Judy LaMarsh Fund, that supports female candidates, at the Liberal Party convention in Ottawa on Saturday, January 14, 2012.

Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay (left) is chased by Liberal MP Justin Trudeau in a motorized wheelchair during a wheelchair race relay on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Twenty-five MPs and senators used a wheelchair for the day in support of the Canadian Paraplegic Association's Spinal Cord Injury and CPA awareness month.

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Liberals, NDP Have Frosty Relations On Parliament Hill

For anyone who wonders why the New Democrats and the Liberals never seem to want to talk about a merger, try spending a little time with them on Parliament Hill these past two weeks.

The recent allegations of personal misconduct levelled by two unnamed female NDP MPs against two of their Liberal counterparts has added another layer of frost to the long-standing animosity between the two parties.

Each camp is accusing the other of playing politics with the issue, and the cases themselves seem to have suddenly taken a back seat to the rivalry.

As frosty as it might have been before this, there is anger right now between the two parties, and thats new, said Rob Silver, a Liberal activist and Toronto consultant.

People are really, really upset between Liberals and New Democrats on how this has played out, which is a real shame.

After Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced Nov. 5 he was suspending MPs Massimo Pacetti and Scott Andrews from caucus, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair suggested Trudeau had revictimized the women by acting publicly.

The Liberals countered by saying they had no choice but to act. If they did nothing, the argument goes, the NDP might have later attacked them for it.

I dont think that the finger-pointing and the politicization of this harassment issue is helpful at all, and I think Canadians expect more from both parties from all parliamentarians to solve it, and solve it well, said Kathleen Monk, a former aide to NDP leader Jack Layton.

In a nutshell, the two parties dont like each other much.

And is it any wonder, considering the high stakes involved in the 2015 election campaign?

Read more:
Relations between Liberals, NDP frosty on Parliament Hill

Guardian graphic

Four candidates are seeking the Liberal nomination in Egmont. From left, Gilles Arsenault, Robert Morrissey, Tina Mundy and Robert Gallant.

This time around, Keith Milligan is looking forward to being an armchair observer.

Milligan, who spent a brief time as premier, ran against Gail Shea in Egmont in 2008. He lost by fewer than 100 votes.

The Tyne Valley native said Egmont, which was held by the Liberals for nearly three decades before being won by Shea in 2008, is ripe for the picking by the Liberals.

Four candidates are seeking the Liberal nomination, including Gilles Arsenault, Robert Gallant, Tina Mundy and Robert Morrissey.

CLICK HERE FOR QUICK FACTS ON THE FOUR CANDIDATES

Justin Trudeaus own personal popularity is quite attractive to a lot of people right now, said Milligan, adding he will not publicly endorse any of the four candidates running for the nomination in Egmont.

Gail Shea has personal popularity. However, she is carrying Stephen Harper on her back and its certainly going to be a factor in the race.

This Saturday, hundreds of Liberals will pack into Hernewood Intermediate in Woodstock, near Mill River, to elect a new candidate in the riding. More than 2,100 card-carrying Liberals are eligible to vote.

Read more from the original source:
Liberals ready to make history in Egmont

Guardian graphic

Four candidates are seeking the Liberal nomination in Egmont. From left, Gilles Arsenault, Robert Morrissey, Tina Mundy and Robert Gallant.

This time around, Keith Milligan is looking forward to being an armchair observer.

Milligan, who spent a brief time as premier, ran against Gail Shea in Egmont in 2008. He lost by fewer than 100 votes.

The Tyne Valley native said Egmont, which was held by the Liberals for nearly three decades before being won by Shea in 2008, is ripe for the picking by the Liberals.

Four candidates are seeking the Liberal nomination, including Gilles Arsenault, Robert Gallant, Tina Mundy and Robert Morrissey.

Justin Trudeaus own personal popularity is quite attractive to a lot of people right now, said Milligan, adding he will not publicly endorse any of the four candidates running for the nomination in Egmont.

Gail Shea has personal popularity. However, she is carrying Stephen Harper on her back and its certainly going to be a factor in the race.

This Saturday, hundreds of Liberals will pack into Hernewood Intermediate in Woodstock, near Mill River, to elect a new candidate in the riding. More than 2,100 card-carrying Liberals are eligible to vote.

Paula Biggar, co-chairwoman of the National Election Readiness Committee for P.E.I., said the Trudeau factor is bringing new faces into the party and new excitement amongst Liberals across the riding.

Continued here:
Liberals want to make history in Egmont