Following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to China and Davos, Switzerland, the federal Liberals are gaining popularity among voters. The latest Leger poll, conducted on behalf of Postmedia from January 23 to 26, shows that 47% of respondents say they would likely vote Liberal if a federal election were held today — a four-point increase compared with early December.
However, support for the government does not translate into approval of all political tactics. The survey indicates more than half of Canadians (51%) say it would be unethical for the Liberals to secure a majority by attracting MPs from other parties. 67% also think that parties should not be allowed to offer inducements to attract floor crossers.
Liberal Support Grows After Carney’s Global Appearances
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos delighted observers from around the world, including those in Canada.
As Leger Executive Vice President Andrew Enns said in an interview with the National Post: “It was a strong speech. It’s not often that a speech can have this level of impact… it gets that patriotic mojo going again in Canada.”
The fact is, there will be a before and after Davos. Mark Carney’s Liberals are riding high, not only in terms of voting intentions, but also in terms of government satisfaction ratings, which have jumped nine points to 58%. During the same period, data shows that Mr. Carney’s popularity has risen eight points to 59%.
Opposition Parties Lose Ground
Carney’s momentum appears to have come largely at the expense of opposition parties. Support for the Conservative Party now stands at 38%, up slightly, but still trailing the Liberals by nine points. Meanwhile, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois have seen their support erode further. In Quebec, Bloc support has fallen by 12 points since December, while NDP support nationally has dropped to 5%.
Canadians Question the Ethics of Floor Crossing in Parliament
Although support for the Liberal government is growing, the second part of the survey indicates that Canadians are not prepared to give the government a blank check when it comes to parliamentary ethics.
Despite this momentum, Canadians express strong reservations about the idea of the Liberals achieving a majority by encouraging MPs from other parties to cross the floor. As 51% say such a scenario would be unethical, 67% oppose parties offering inducements such as cabinet positions to attract defectors. Even among Liberal supporters, opinions are far from unanimous. According to the data:
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- Only 42% believe floor crossing should be allowed without restriction.
- Just 20% say MPs should be free to change parties with no conditions, as is currently the case.
What Voters Want Done With Party Switchers
Canadians are also divided on what should happen when an MP switches parties. Canadians expressed no clear consensus, but a strong desire for greater accountability:
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- 38% believe an MP should be required to run in a byelection under their new party banner.
- 26% say the MP should sit as an Independent until the next general election.
- Also, 87% believe MPs should be legally required to disclose whether they were offered anything in exchange for switching parties.
Methodology
This online survey was conducted among 1,611 Canadians aged 18 or older, between January 23 and January 26, 2026. Respondents were recruited through LEO’s online panel. Results were weighted by age, gender, region, language, education, and household composition.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample. For comparison, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of ±2.44 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
