Ekos polling data

The CBC's Kady O'Mally  included a link to seven cross-tab tables produced in the latest Ekos opinion poll. The tables can be found here.

I don't know if CBC.ca always makes these tables available or if they are doing it just because Frank Graves stuck both feet in his mouth this week when he advised the Liberals to start a "culture war" with the Conservatives. Either way, full  kudos for including the tables online. (there used to be a website PoliticsCanada.com that included data from all of the latest opinion polls but the site is defunct. Polling data is sometimes made available from the polling companies themselves but not often.)

What's immediately apparent in the tables is how little things have changed in six years. Canadians may dislike much about American politics but we are just as wedded to Red and Blue as our Yankees cousins are.According to the Ekos poll, 13% of respondents said they were undecided, meaning the vast majority of Canadians have chosen sides and colours. Die hard Leaf fans have nothing on Conservative supporters in Alberta.

According to the poll, the Conservatives are still well below the 40% threshold required for a majority government, but they are ahead of the Liberals in all provinces except Quebec. Ontario is a statistical tie. This is misleading however as vote-rich southern Ontario skews the results. Tory support in western and rural Ontario cannot make up for Liberal support in urban areas especially metro Toronto.

That said, most national polls are useless indicators as they don't break down Ontario by geography or ridings. Which would you rather have, 90% voter support in rural Ontario or 40% support in Metro Toronto?