Despite the verbal attacks, many of which were targeted at Liberal Leader Mark Carney, in the first and last English language debate Thursday, post-debate polling from Abacus Data concludes neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives gained much momentum.
“If campaigns are marathons punctuated by sprints, tonight’s English‑language debate looks like a brisk jog that left the two frontrunners exactly where they started,” the latest poll report reads.
Within 90 minutes of the debate, Abacus Data captured responses from 1,200 Canadians, a little over half of whom said they watched at least some of the debate.
Of those who tuned in, 59 per cent rated Carney’s performance positively while 53 per cent said the same about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The scale tips when respondents were asked who did the most to win their vote during the debate. Forty-three per cent said Poilievre while 40 per cent said Carney. But 29 per cent also said that Poilievre did the most to lose their vote.
The numbers also confirmed the April 28 election is truly a race of two parties. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet trailed behind in all data points.
But who will win that election and walk away the new Prime Minister of Canada is still up in the air.
“Carney’s net impression sits at +37, Poilievre’s at +23, a difference significant for bragging rights but not yet for ballot boxes,” the report reads.
Of those who watched the debate, just four per cent said they’ve changed their mind about who they plan to vote for. Another 23 per cent said they are considering changing their mind, but the results show their current preferences mirror the national competition.
“In other words,” the report said, “the debate prompted reflection, not realignment.”
