B.C. Liberals show slight gain in latest poll

Support for the B.C. Liberals has increased marginally but the provincial NDP remain the leading choice for voters in B.C., according to the latest Angus Reid poll.

The online survey of 800 B.C. adults from an Angus Reid database showed 25 per cent of those polled would vote for the party,up three percentage points from August,while support for the NDP fell three points to 46 per cent.

Support for the B.C. Conservatives remains steady at 19 per cent, while the Greens dropped one percentage point to 8 per cent.

Pollster Mario Conseco with Angus Reid Public Opinion says the results show the B.C. Conservatives are not gaining more support, while the B.C. Liberals are attracting more voters at a critical time leading up to the next election.

"There is evidence that some B.C. Liberal voters from the 2009 election who decided to vote from somebody else who are now starting to come back into the party," he said.

"For the first time they're not stagnant or dropping. They're gaining. B.C. Conservatives are now stagnant. They're at 19 per cent, so the centre right vote is starting to shift a little bit."

Conseco says the centre-right shift may be due toquestions over the leadership of the B.C. Conservatives.

He notes one interesting trend uncovered in the poll, whichwasconducted on Sept. 10 and 11,was an increase in the proportion of disengaged respondents.

Forty-three per cent of British Columbians would not choose any of the four party leaders to be premier, or remain undecided, he said.

The next B.C. election is scheduled for May.