Another two polls have been released a new Ekos poll and a new Nanos poll. Both polls guage political preference over the period which ended on April 27. They both show the NDP firmly in second place with 28 % (Ekos) and 30 % Nanos. These are identical results within the margin of error of the polls. The Liberals receive 22 % and the leading Conservatives receive 35 % in Ekos and 37 % in Nanos. It is unlikely if these results occurred on election day that the Conservatives would win a majority but vote splits might deliver such a result if the three way splits worked in a very precise way that consistently benefitted the Conservatives. But I think that is unlikely. A more likely result if these numbers are accurately reflected in the actual vote would be the Conservatives falling short of a majority by a greater margin than last election. The real big change would be the movement of the NDP into the role of official opposition displacing the Liberals and making an historically important shift in Canadian politics. Since they appear to be a party that may receive as much as 30 % of the vote their opponents ought to be a little more cautious in the kinds of intemperate language they use when they describe their platform and policies. Close to a third of our electorate appear to support the NDP

New Democrats and their parent party , the CCF, have governed and governed well at the Provincial level for almost 70 years. At various times in our history they have been the government of B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia. They have drawn and continue to draw substantial support from the poor, the working class,the underdog, the professional classes, many members of the intellectual and artistic community ,the teaching profession, the trade union movement and many of the people that have made a very critical contribution to our society.

I am not a member of the NDP I am a Liberal and I don’t agree with a number of their policies, particularly their approach to Québec . But to dismiss them as amateurs and dogmatic socialists is just plain wrong. My parents, for example who were life long supporters of this party would be understandably insulted by such false rhetoric. The New Democrats like social democratic parties in Europe and elsewhere in their own societies play an important role in Canadian society in offering an important alternative approach to the democratic management of our economic system . They have played a major role in humanizing capitalism, establishing medicare and spreading civil rights and social justice. If you demonize them you are demonizing an important aspect of ourselves and Canadian values , in general.