Liberals’ lead is wider in Whitehorse
A recent election poll conducted by DataPath Systems is showing the Liberals with a slight lead over the Yukon Party and a larger lead over the NDP.
A recent election poll conducted by DataPath Systems is showing the Liberals with a slight lead over the Yukon Party and a larger lead over the NDP.
Asked which of the four party leaders they would support, 37 per cent preferred Liberal Leader Sandy Silver, 34 per cent chose Premier Darrell Pasloski of the Yukon Party and 27 per cent favoured NDP Leader Liz Hanson, according to the results released by DataPath this morning.
Two per cent preferred Green Party Leader Frank de Jong.
The Marsh Lake company conducted 625 web-based surveys of Yukoners between Oct. 15 and Oct. 23.
The race between the Liberals and Yukon Party gets even tighter when Yukoners were asked what candidate they would vote for in their riding.
The survey shows a tie between the Yukon Party and Liberals at 34 per cent, 29 per cent for the NDP and three per cent for the Green Party.
There is, however, a distinct difference between the 12 Whitehorse ridings and seven rural ridings, DataPath points out.
Of the 479 Whitehorse residents surveyed, 38 per cent said they would vote for the Liberals while 31 per cent favoured the Yukon Party.
“So in terms of number of seats, that Whitehorse number is extremely important,” says the press release.
DataPath points out that last December, the Liberals were favoured by 40 per cent of those polled compared to 25 per cent for the Yukon Party.
The governing party fell from a high of 43 per cent in 2012 after it was returned in 2011 to a third straight majority government.
While the Liberals have just about maintained their lead, the Yukon Party has been trending upwards in the polls at the expense of the NDP, says the survey results.
DataPath indicates that demographically, the Liberals are favoured by voters with children at home, by voters who live in Whitehorse, voters who are government employees and are in the 35- to 50-year-old age group.
Yukon Party support is strongest among older voters and voters in rural ridings.
The NDP is favoured among younger voters, voters with children and voters earning under $50,000 annually.
The survey indicates of those planning to vote for the NDP, 14 per cent actually favour Silver for premier – 20 per cent in rural ridings specifically.
DataPath also asked the 625 Yukoners to indicate the six issues most important to them.
Economic development, the future of the Peel River watershed, hydraulic fracturing and carbon pricing were the top four.
On the issue of economic development, 34 per cent supported a focus on non-resource based industry such as tourism and 24 per cent favoured a focus on existing mining and forestry industries.
Support for resource development is strongest among Yukon Party supporters, according to the survey results.
For the future of the Peel, the survey indicates 19 per cent oppose any development, 46 per cent favour only low-impact or tightly managed development and 27 per cent support resource extraction but only in 25 per cent of the watershed. Eight per cent support a high degree of resource extraction.
Along party lines, 77 per cent of Yukon Party supporters favour resource extraction compared to 25 per cent of Liberal supporters and 15 per cent of NDP supporters.
The survey indicates 40 per cent of the 625 respondents support a ban on fracking, 25 per cent favour a moratorium until more research can be completed and 35 per cent favour fracking at some level.
Along party lines, 68 per cent of Yukon Party loyalists support fracking at some level compared to 23 per cent of Liberal supporters and 14 per cent of NDP supporters.
In the area of policies aimed at reducing the output of carbon, 14 per cent indicated the Yukon government should do nothing, according to the survey results.
Twelve per cent indicated support for limited government investment, 25 per supported moderate investment and 28 per cent supported significant investment.
The survey says support for government investment to reduce carbon output is strongest among the New Democrats, followed by the Liberals.
DataPath pointed out in its release the survey was not commissioned, and was paid for by the DataPath.
Comments (20)
Up 2 Down 7
Josey Wales on Nov 6, 2016 at 7:50 am
I must say I for one am not terribly surprised the red team is doing ok in the sty of Whitehorse.
When I mill about it is painfully obvious why.
I bump into more...
Brain dead sycophants...
Entitled "know it all's"...
cucks galore...
Eastern fools...
Revisionist historians rife with delusion...
Regulation fetish groupies...
Heaps more rude pushy folks, gobs and gobs more 3rd world in town too.
Yes the red team may do fine.
We as a collective lack the balls required to send an accurate message to our "rulers".
...and to me, that is a shame...as next week will illustrate.
Up 4 Down 5
Ed Schneider on Nov 5, 2016 at 9:50 pm
My fellow Liberals we have to try and do what we can to get our vote out. Phone a friend and ask, "Have you voted yet?" Topical conversation with friends, "Have you voted yet?" Let's turn up the heat a little to get our vote out.
Up 1 Down 2
Yukoner 53 on Nov 5, 2016 at 2:13 pm
@Franklin "The 10% tax I am referring to is Trudeau's carbon tax." That tax hasn't been implemented yet and we don't know the specific amounts or timelines especially here in the north. There is talk of adjusting those numbers for the north, which is why it would be good to have a Liberal government here to work out a better deal with their federal counterparts.
"So the liberals are willing to support Syrians more than our own territory. So yes refugees and healthcare obviously ARE mutually exclusive, it was us or them, literally." No it wasn't....There is still no direct correlation. I could just as well say, we are building new warships instead of giving that money to the north, or we are giving money to subsidize fossil fuels in AB instead of supporting the north. See what I mean?
"Trudeau has been bad for Canada so far and the media has been conveniently ignoring it. " He has been doing great for farmers, ranchers and free trade. He is also going to change the FPTP system and legalize marijuana. Can't say I'm upset about that! You need to educate yourself.
"I will never be voting liberal again ever." As if you ever voted Liberal to begin with. You sound exactly like the stereotypical conservative curmudgeon
Up 6 Down 8
Franklin on Nov 4, 2016 at 10:43 pm
@ yukoner 53
Glad I've opened your eyes to Trudeau's cuts to healthcare, you weren't aware because the media only chooses to cover positive left wing articles.
The 10% tax I am referring to is Trudeau's carbon tax. That 10% is going onto your heating bill, Your electricity bill, and every time you fill up your car. Or were you unaware of the diesel generators running around the clock in the Yukon? That's why your power bill is so high. The Costs will trickle up to food as well from trucking everything up here.
Regarding the refugees go ahead and google it. 1.2 BILLION this first year alone. Projected total is 15 billion plus. That is a larger budget than the entire Yukon receives. So the liberals are willing to support Syrians more than our own territory.
That's enough for 5 brand new hospitals. Enough to rebuild the First Nation community in Ross River, enough to have free parking in Whitehorse. Build a new Hydro dam...
So yes refugees and healthcare obviously ARE mutually exclusive, it was us or them, literally.
I encourage you to simply look at how the budget has been spent so far, educate yourself. There are more than a few WTF items on the bill so far, it's insane.
Trudeau has been bad for Canada so far and the media has been conveniently ignoring it.
I haven't.
I will never be voting liberal again ever.
Up 10 Down 11
Yukoner 53 on Nov 4, 2016 at 2:35 pm
@Franklin
You still haven't made any connection between healthcare cuts and the refugees. It isn't one or the other as you are making it out to be.
You also haven't explained this 10% tax increase either. Was it GST? income tax? Can't say I've seen an increase anywhere... Also, the budgetary surplus of 1 billion is nothing to the 150 billion debt Harper added. For comparison Harper inherited a 13 billion surplus from the last Liberal Govt.
Up 14 Down 9
Franklin on Nov 3, 2016 at 7:05 pm
@ Yukoner 53
Unfortunately, Jack Frost is right. Trudeau did in fact cut health care transfer payments by 60 billion, it was proposed by the Harper regime, but Trudeau fought to have it completed, even against outspoken opposition.
He's not the golden boy we thought he was.
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/10/17/provinces-urge-ottawa-to-reverse-health-funding-cuts.html
This is not trump style politics, it's a fact. CBC and many other major news organizations have covered this. I voted liberal last federal election but I certainly didn't vote to cut health care. I am all for helping refugees and other nations In Need, but not at the cost of cutting the services to existing Canadian citizens.
Healthcare is part of what makes us Canadians, Trudeau will not be getting my vote next term, he's upped taxes and cut health care after inheriting a budgetary surplus. this is the worst of both worlds.
Up 25 Down 15
Yukoner 53 on Nov 3, 2016 at 4:33 pm
@Ranger rick
"Trudeau traded a 9 percent cut to healthcare for refugees, increased taxes nationally by 10 percent"
None of that is even remotely true. Stop lying. We don't need Trump style politics up here.
Up 20 Down 29
Ranger rick on Nov 3, 2016 at 2:35 pm
MAYBE the liberals have gained a lead (according to thier own polls) but only due to vote fixing with the homeless...
Dear god we can't let these fanatics in
Wake up people, Trudeau traded a 9 percent cut to healthcare for refugees, increased taxes nationally by 10 percent and is still going into massive debt after inheriting a 1 billion surplus.
A vote for the Yukon party saves every household in Yukon $3200 in oil, electricity and gasoline bills this winter.
Let's keep the Yukon as is... healthy and booming!!!
Up 17 Down 33
New Plan! on Nov 1, 2016 at 12:10 pm
I'm going to start a new party for the next election. It shall be called the "Conservative Nightmare Party' and its main focus will be on implementing a gun registry, implementing a carbon tax, helping refugees and an education heavily focused on science. Muahahahah
Up 11 Down 23
Francis Pillman on Nov 1, 2016 at 12:09 pm
This is a comment to Donna. 15 years? It's as simple as ABC as your methodology. It takes 15 years to do that? Something stinks here.
Up 35 Down 28
Moose on Nov 1, 2016 at 11:37 am
@George - Datapath was correct to within half a percentage point last election. Polls also predicted the Liberal federal victory. Nice try though.
Datapath was not commissioned by the Liberals - nice stunt trying to pretend it was though.
Bottom line is this is a two way race, and we finally have a party positioned to take out the Yukon Party - and it's about bloody time too. Don't split the vote.
Up 28 Down 9
Groucho d'North on Nov 1, 2016 at 10:13 am
At the conclusion of this election, there will be a party that forms government, an opposition and an also-ran party striving to remain pertinent, and people will still complain - that's what politics are. Regardless, we will get the government we deserve.
Up 24 Down 19
Ban the trolls on Oct 31, 2016 at 8:54 pm
Ha ha the neo con trolls have sure jumped all over this story. Truth (not that you would recognize the stuff) hurts I guess!!
Up 44 Down 35
Duane Gastant' Aucoin on Oct 31, 2016 at 7:50 pm
Come on Yukon! Don't split the vote & allow the Conservatives (Yukon Party) to steal another election! Vote for your local candidate who has the best chance on defeating the local YP. Either Liberal or NDP....even if they're not your 1st choice. Because anyone is better than Conservative! ABC!!!
Up 22 Down 14
Barry Smith on Oct 31, 2016 at 7:27 pm
MEH - I always lie to pollsters
Up 20 Down 14
Donna Larsen on Oct 31, 2016 at 4:48 pm
Our survey was non-commissioned - not paid for by any party. The methodology was a standard online panel, commonly used by professional market research companies. The panel has been developed over 15 years of random recruiting. The press release can be found at www.datapathsystems.net.
Up 12 Down 33
joe and Jane on Oct 31, 2016 at 4:20 pm
Polls are unreliable, especially local data path. The real survey is to just ask anyone out there who they're going to vote for and its overwhelmingly liberal, that's the only survey I need. Been all over the territory, same answers.
Up 49 Down 28
ProScience Greenie on Oct 31, 2016 at 4:05 pm
Web-based survey? No description of methodology or links to results doesn't give this poll a whole lot of weight.
Up 56 Down 62
Liberals putting out their own polls - stunt masters on Oct 31, 2016 at 4:02 pm
Trying to convince voters to vote for them.
Liberals are getting desperate because voters see through their stunts.
Up 61 Down 43
George on Oct 31, 2016 at 3:08 pm
Those who believe in polls likely believe in the tooth fairy as well.