The federal Conservatives enjoy a commanding lead across Alberta among decided voters, a new Insights West poll released Wednesday shows.

If the election were held today, more than half of decided Alberta voters — 58 per cent — would cast a ballot for Stephen Harper’s Conservatives in the Oct. 19 federal election, according to the poll of 509 Albertans.

Tom Mulcair’s New Democratic Party trailed by more than half at 26 per cent, followed by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals at 12 per cent and Elizabeth May’s Green party at three per cent.

While NDP support was strongest in Edmonton at 32 per cent, the Conservatives still hold the lead in Alberta’s capital city with 46 per cent. The Liberals trail in third with 16 per cent and the Green party follows with four per cent.

In Calgary, Conservative support is even higher at 56 per cent, while the NDP trails with 23 per cent, followed by the Liberals with 16 per cent support and the Greens with three per cent.

At 69 per cent, Tory support is highest across the rest of Alberta. The NDP trails in a distant second with 22 per cent, followed by the Liberals with five per cent.

The online poll was conducted from Aug. 20 to Aug. 24 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. The data has been statistically weighted against census figured for age, gender and region.

The results showed the Tories on top among both male and female respondents, at 62 per cent and 53 per cent, respectively. The Conservatives are also the favourite among voters aged 35 to 54 and those over 55. The NDP, however, was more popular among voters aged 18 to 34 — the youngest group.

When asked which leader would make the best prime minister, Harper was the overwhelming favourite with 44 per cent. Mulcair followed with 15 per cent, while Trudeau trailed with nine per cent.

Respondents also picked Harper as the best leader to handle several different issues, including health care, the economy, crime, housing and poverty, energy, government accountability and foreign affairs. Voters picked the Green party’s May as the best leader to handle the environment.

Nearly four out of five voters — 78 per cent — say they won’t change their mind before the fall vote. That number jumps to 92 per cent for Conservative supporters, followed by 66 per cent for Liberal supporters, and 54 per cent for NDP supporters.

While the poll shows the Conservatives have maintained a healthy lead, it also reveals a paradox, with 53 per cent of voters agreeing it’s time for a change in government, while 40 per cent disagreed.

mibrahim@edmontonjournal.com

Twitter.com/mariamdena