OTTAWA - People seem to be gradually warming to Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, but many still have a love-him-or-hate him view of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a new poll suggests.
The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey indicates the two men have similar levels of support, but Harper's negative ratings are much higher.
It found that 44 per cent of respondents had a favourable view of Harper, while 45 per cent were negative.
Ignatieff got a favourable rating from 45 per cent, but only 26 per cent held a negative view.
Pollster Jeff Walker says the findings suggest that Harper remains a polarizing figure, while there's room for the freshly minted Liberal leader to increase his support.
"There's a very big number of people who don't have an impression yet because he's still relatively new," Walker said.
If those people eventually react in the same relative proportions as those who have made up their minds about Ignatieff, it could be good news for the Liberals.
"His favourability numbers could end up being quite significantly better than Harper's over the next few months."
The poll found the prime minister's support was highest in Alberta (70 per cent favourable, 16 per cent unfavourable) and lowest in Quebec (28 per cent favourable, 60 per cent unfavourable).
Ignatieff's highest ratings came in Atlantic Canada (51-15). He was seen favourably by 45 per cent of Quebecers, more than twice as many as the 21 per cent who view him unfavourably in the province.
Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe has a 50 per cent favourable rating in Quebec, with only 28 per cent rating him unfavourably.
Nationally, NDP Leader Jack Layton got a favourable rating from 42 per cent, with 39 per cent unfavourable. Elizabeth May of the Greens was rated favourably by 33 per cent and unfavourably by 28 per cent.
Walker said the shaky economy is a problem for Harper.
"I think the economy is exaggerating a problem that he's consistently had for a while," he said. "Among people that aren't self-identified Conservatives, there tends to be a default to having a more negative impression of Harper than positive so the economy just makes that more problematic for the prime minister."
Harper managed to shake that, in part, during the last election but was helped because he was up against Stephane Dion, Walker added.
A stronger Liberal leader and the troubled economy make things tougher for Harper.
The pollster said the Tory leader has to shore up strength, especially among urban women.
"Probably the best way to do that is to demonstrate, both through words and actions, a higher level of empathy about the level of stress people are feeling about the economic situation."
The survey is part of a weekly omnibus poll which interviewed just over 1,000 Canadians from March 19 to 22. It is considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times in 20.
