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A public opinion study … demonstrates a strong appetite for a leader who embraces more mainstream views

Canadians were more interested in candidates who spoke their minds, and who had private-sector experience but also held senior roles in government. They want their leaders to be able to build consensus and assume a leadership role in dealing with climate change. Even the most conservative-minded voters accept that the party has to do a better job on environmental policy. None of this is to say that a leader should abandon core Conservative principles. Rather, the job of a strong leader is to persuade and to broaden the base rather than drive cleavages among voters.

Compared with other relatively high-profile Tories, our research showed that MacKay best fit the profile most voters and Conservative voters were looking for. Regionally, MacKay was consistently strong in all provinces, particularly in vote-rich Greater Toronto. Rona Ambrose was also popular across Canada and marginally better in Alberta. But she did not have the same impact as MacKay in Ontario, which may explain her decision to not enter the race.

Quebec’s Jean Charest placed behind both MacKay and Ambrose and, surprisingly, while he was most popular in Quebec, he also evoked the highest negative reactions in the province where he governed for nine years. This, too, may explain his decision not to run.

Photo by Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press

Pierre Poilievre, as a career position and someone with a very low name-recognition, placed a fourth or fifth along with Erin O’Toole, whose regional support base in the east has largely gone to Peter MacKay.