By Joan Bryden, The Canadian Press

Published April 26, 2010 01:01 pm |

OTTAWA — Canadians are looking more favourably at the NDP as they become increasingly disenchanted with the two main political parties, a new poll suggests.

The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey indicates support for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives slipped to 29 per cent amid the furor over the Guergis-Jaffer affair.

That’s the first time in a year that the governing party has dipped below the 30 per cent threshold.

But the beneficiary this time was not the Liberals — who usually gain when Tories lose ground and vice versa. Indeed, the Liberals were stalled at 27 per cent.

Rather, it was the New Democrats who rose three points to 20 per cent — a level of support the party hasn’t enjoyed since shortly after the last election in October 2008.

The NDP, which typically runs a distant third, now appears to be “benefiting from not being the other guys,” Harris-Decima chairman Allan Gregg said in an interview.

Gregg said it’s unprecedented to have both the Conservatives and Liberals languishing simultaneously below 30 per cent.

“In my memory, I can never recall both major political parties being under 30 per cent of the popular vote — ever. To me, that’s the stunning part,” the veteran pollster told The Canadian Press.

“It’s a reflection of the general disgust of the major options that are available to most voters.”

Gregg said the Tories have no doubt been hurt by allegations of unethical — and possibly illegal — conduct swirling around disgraced former cabinet minister Helena Guergis and her husband, former Tory MP Rahim Jaffer.

But he believes the latest poll results are symptomatic of a deeper malaise among Canadian voters.

He pointed to another Harris-Decima survey earlier this month, in which Canadians expressed little confidence in either the Tories or Liberals to manage the economy, balance the books or reflect their values.

Indeed, more Canadians picked “None of the Above” or “Don’t Know” than chose any federal party on those key issues.

“That’s a reflection, as I say, of general, if not disgust, certainly massive dissatisfaction with traditional choices,” Gregg said.

Liberals have gone gangbusters on the Guergis-Jaffer affair, pummelling the government over every twist and turn in the controversy. By comparison, the NDP has been more restrained and Gregg said that may be helping the party differentiate itself from the other two mainline parties.

Gregg noted a remarkable similarity between the apparent rise of the NDP in Canada and the sudden surge in support for the Liberal Democrats, the traditional third party in Britian which has become a real contender in the current U.K. election campaign.

“The parallels are massive.”

The telephone survey of 2,014 Canadians was conducted April 15-25. A sample this size is considered accurate within a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points, 19 times in 20.

Joan Bryden reports for The Canadian Press.