A new Nanos poll that took place from March 15 to 29 for CTV News and the Globe and Mail may show the Conservatives in the lead, but Conservative support is on the decline. Within a week, the Liberals have gained the most support off the backs of the Conservatives and NDP. If this trend continues, this election may be a close one.

Other highlights in this article:
A glimmer of hope may be arising for the Liberal Party as polls favor them and an NDP candidate has resigned and given his support to the Liberal Party.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff makes promises pertaining to the Canada Pension Plan that gets praised.

Canadians value Healthcare and the Environment above all.
Two more Conservative staffers fired due to Corruption in Campaign HQ, Harper claims that he knew nothing.

Liberals Make Modest Gains Nationwide; Gap Closes

Nationwide support for the Liberals is on the rise at the expense of the NDP and marginally the Conservatives.

Liberal support is on the rise in every province but Quebec and the Prairies. New region-based Data from Nanos suggests that the Conservatives and NDP took a large hit from March 15 to 29.

These polling numbers suggest a Liberal take-over in Atlantic Canada, modest Conservative losses in all of the provinces but British Columbia, a major NDP loss to the Liberals in British Columbia can also be noted.

The Prairies and Quebec have made up their minds on who they will vote for. The Prairies will go Conservative as traditional, and the Bloc Quebecois will narrowly hold Quebec as the NDP make in-roads on the Liberals and Conservatives.

Ontario, a riding that could very well decide the next government shows a large shift of NDP votes to the Liberals while the Conservatives experience a marginal decline.

What may be the most surprising in these polls is the manner at which the NDP have dropped, especially in British Columbia but in the East, they are making large gains. In Atlantic Canada, the NDP and Liberals seem to be making the same gain at Conservative loss – enough for a Liberal take over.

In terms of leadership, the Liberals experience steady growth at the expense of NDP decline. The Conservatives remain consistent.

While it is still the beginning of the campaign and the Conservatives maintain a 10 point lead instead of a 13 point lead – as Liberals gained 3% points while the Conservatives stay constant at 38% nationwide, unlike the events of the 2008 election, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff may see a glimmer of light shine as the clouds start to break.

NDP Candidate Bails and Endorses Liberals to Prevent Conservative Win

The glimmer of light expanded today as one of Jack Layton’s candidates in Ontario resigned his candidature and endorsed the Liberal candidate. Ryan Dolby, NDP candidate for Elgin-Middlesex-London, Ontario

endorsed the Liberal candidate Graham Warwick on a Wednesday Radio show.

“I think it’s the best decision on behalf of my family, my community, and my country to do whatever I can to make sure there isn’t a Conservative victory, especially in this riding.”
Ryan Dolby told AM980 radio

Canada’s Top Priority

In the same study, the Healthcare system and the Environment top the priority list for Canadians this time around.

Ignatieff: Plan to Strengthen Pensions to Support Canadians

Meanwhile, Ignatieff announced that he would strengthen the public pension system by creating a new low cost, low risk, tax deductible system that would allow pensioners to invest up to 10% of their income. Ignatieff also pledged $700 million for a guaranteed income supplement and improvements to the existing Canada Pension Plan System.

Ignatieff proposal was praised by the Canadian Association of Retired Persons who said it would be an “important promise.”

“What’s important for us to look at is that we should have a benchmark that says it doesn’t matter whether it’s income supports or reducing expenses, affordable housing or drug coverage, to make sure that no Canadian senior lives in poverty in Canada. We have way too many people who are having trouble making ends meet today.”
Susan Eng of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons told CTV’s Power Play

This promise comes a day after Liberals promised a give away of up to $4000 for students who are committed in their studies and $6000 for students who live in low income families. The plan would cost $1 billion – which is roughly the equivalent of the cost of 1 G8/G20 Summit, 1/56 Fighter Jets, 1/36 Super prisons and 1/6 of the Corporate tax cuts that the Conservatives have been putting in place – each of these are expenses that the Liberals have pledged to scrap once elected.

Conservatives take another Hit

For the second day in a row, the Conservative campaign has lost a candidate due to illegal practices.
With this event happening, Harper announced another promise for his campaign: The Conservatives will no longer take questions about the party’s 308 candidates.

Giulio Maturi, the man who started another wave of controversy and trouble for the Conservative campaign was accused of receiving cash-stuffed envelopes during the Montreal municipal elections.

Tony Accurso came under scrutiny when both of his companies were recently convicted of tax evasion.

For a man who promises that he has everything under control, Harper told reporters that he knew nothing. “On that guy, I don’t know the details. They tell me he’s no longer a volunteer in our campaign.” You would think that as the leader of the Conservative Party, he would be able to keep his staff under control and well behaved, something he mocked the Liberals for last time around.