Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 13, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba A8 Winnipeg free May m the flood re 7 a Manitoban put deficit cutting poll shows by Paul Mckie election reporter the liberals May be losing some popularity in but the party stand on deficit reduction is shared by both party sup porters and the general according to a free 24 hours poll by probe research 45 per cent of Liberal supporters favour debt reduction a mainstay of the Liberal election 41 per cent of Manitoban believe reducing the National debt is a the poll also indicates 2s per cent want to increase spending on social another 25 per cent want a Cut in personal income hacking away at the deficit has won the hearts of said probe president Scott Salesman Rob said debt reduction was most important to if you reduce the it will Lead to More he the poll shows deficit cutting is the priority of major party supporters except for the among tory sup is per cent want lower debt while 57 per cent of Reform party sup porters urge reduced both parties Are pushing tax cuts As a Campaign yet Only 24 per cent of Reform voters and 27 per cent of tory supporters want a personal income tax Mackay said those numbers suggest distance Between the party elites and their grassroots but Greg Reform candidate for Winnipeg said his party plat form is Clear on deficit we Haven talked about that because we feel we can eliminate the deficit by March said the nip May not support deficit reduction but the party seems to be in tune with its of nip sup 41 per cent said they wanted to see More spending on social pro 31 per cent of nip sup porters want to fight the business owner James believes debt reduction is Liberal Campaign stalls grits fumbled Over last two Manitoban say in probe Survey by David Kuxhaus election reporter free 24 hours momentum its hard to keep and even harder to and with the election Only three weeks the liberals Are in desperate need of a Quick according to Winnipeg free 24 hours poll by probe research Over on third of Manitoban or 36 per think the grits have fumbled the Ball Over the past couple of feelings toward the other three parties for the most part remain almost for reformers posted a net performance rating of minus while the tories and nip came out on the plus at five and eight per what this Means is theres Only one party that has ticked people said Scott probe even More alarming for the grits is the mood of their own Only 13 per cent believe the party performance has improved while 23 per cent think things have gotten that really said what you normally see is that the partisans feel great about their Rick who cast his vote for prime minister Jean Chretien in is feeling anything but great these in very disappointed with the said i dont think Treyve been listening to what people have been Mackay attributes the recent nose dive to Chretien Early election Call during the that whats done says but Koster said he thinks the resentment runs with the flood fiasco simply being the last a lot of people Are using the flood As a reason not to support the Liber and theres something to he but i think they really Proba Bly made up their minds a Long time Federal party momentum net gain 10 regardless of How y intend to Over the 10 past few weeks has your 1 opinion of the major Federal parties stayed the same or gotten worse equals those approving minus those who did not approve 20 30 40 net loss up photo Linda St Ilkowski Winnipeg free press Koster says the liberals have ignored the much like the tories under former prime minister Brian one he is gun con there were a lot of people who were against it but it didst seem to says the business who says Hes leaning towards accountant Rob Winter is another unhappy Hes irked Over the party handling of the they didst seem to take it Seri says it just seemed to be a Bunch of political Chretien had this kind of cocky like he can do what he wants and Hes always in unlike Winter says Hes not ready to give up on the in not sure who in going to vote for right he adding that it May not be top late for the liberals to right their Mackay said its difficult to say whether the anger of the electorate will subside by june its the million Dollar he but my own personal suspicion is that As the floodwaters recede the resentment Over holding the Early election will fall and the momentum for the liberals will Start Liberal supporters tout Chretien but the maker of the sign behind them had a different View of the prime Linda Silkowski Winnipeg free press to said figures there will be a Price to i dont think it will Hurt people like foreign affairs minister Lloyd says but i think the liberals will lose out in some of the closer the liberals held 12 of the provinces 14 seats in the last we Manitoban answered about our poll the free 24 hours poll con ducted by probe research asked Manitoba voters several questions to gauge their feel Ings about the election and the Here Are some of the questions asked thinking of How you feel right which party candidate Are you most Likely to sup port on june 2 a Liberal q q nip q Reform q other regardless of How you intend to Over the past few weeks has your opinion of the stayed the same or gotten worse a Liberal q q nip a Reform is there a major Federal political party that you feel you could definitely not support in this election q Liberal a a nip a Reform a other regardless of what party forms the next Federal which one of the follow ing three approaches do you consider to be the most important at this time a reducing the National debt a increasing spending on social pro Grams a reducing personal income taxes for All citizens the Federal liberals have decided to hold this National election after governing for roughly three and on half years of a Possi ble five year in your is this elec Tion timing of or should the liberals have waited until their term of office was closer to expiring the province wide Survey was conducted by probe research via Telephone interviews Between May 2 and May the random Sam pling surveyed making the poll accurate to within per 19 times out of the Survey was also weighted among Winnipeg and Rural voters to reflect population this weighting meant about 60 per cent of those polled live in the City while 40 per cent Are from outside the perimeter due to flood evacuations during the sur vey some areas South of the including the towns of Morris and were excluded from the the excluded Region represents about three per cent of the provincial weighted by 1991 to 34 to years or school or some High High respondents unweighted 160 net vote Liberal nip Reform 22 28 14 21 26 17 22 30 10 22 32 10 22 27 16 22 24 14 38 23 28 13 24 22 18 24 27 8 15 38 12 26 23 27 22 15 source probe research Leesa Dahl inn Peg free but he is also concerned about disadvantaged and unemployed i believe in social program Assis Tance to people who need i dont necessarily like to see an erosion in that he unemployed Carol puts a priority on increased spending on social programs and health care Gonzalez said she has friends in health care who have left Manitoba because of that happen in a country like she liberals vote Call too poll says by Paul Mckie election reporter a Strong majority of Manito bans believe the Federal election was called too regardless of the flood a free 24 hours poll by probe research shows 73 per cent believe the liberals called an election too soon and should have waited until their mandate was closer to of those surveyed who said they sup ported the 63 per cent said they thought the election was called too supporters of the other Par ties were More Adamant with 78 per cent progressive 78 per cent nip and 75 per cent Reform sup porters indicating the election was called Paul Maka Haniuk said he definitely thought the election was called too he said the liberals should have gone farther into their five year Man Maka Haniuk said he Doest nor Mally support the the liberals were Only 3 years into their five year mandate when they called the Cana Dian governments go about four years before going to the although Brian Mulroney conservatives went five years when the 1993 election was the Survey showed that Only 22 per cent of Manitoban thought it was of that the election was called Frank a Liberal said he want concerned by the Early to me it make any differ you have to Call it sooner or later commented when the flood situation is taken into consideration the number of Manito bans opposed to the election Call increases to 77 per cent who believe the liberals were wrong in calling the in response to other flood related poll Manitoban said they believed the government leaders were prepared for the of the respond 83 per cent said municipal Lead ers were effective or somewhat effective during the 87 per cent for the province and 66 per cent for the Federal Reform party tops Manitoba aversion poll by Paul Samyn election reporter its not the kind of poll result any party wants to score to High the Survey category is called voter a polling test to deter mine which party voters would be unwilling to support under any Cir and according to a free 24 hours the Reform party has the dubious distinction of Topping the aversion the province wide poll by probe research found 32 per cent of Mani to bans would definitely not support Preston mannings party in the june 2 by the Liberal aversion level is 21 per the tories 18 per cent and the nip 17 per the probe research poll also looked at voters secon Choice to see where they would turn if their preferred political option became with voter volatility High and vote splits key in several this Cate gory is a Good Way of predicting How tight races might shake probe research found Liberal Vot ers Are equally Likely to turn to either the tories 32 per cent or the nip 35 per most nip voters go Liberal when they flee 41 per tory Vot ers break mostly to the Liberal party 33 per cent while some 23 per cent would go to and what could be key to tory Hopes to recapture their base shows nearly Onei three Reform voters 30 per cent would turn to the conservatives if they have to go to their second ;