As new polls show the New Democrats have passed the Liberals for a second time and are giving the Conservatives a run for the lead, the leader of the party is making a stop in Edmonton where he is trying to turn Alberta from blue to orange.
New polls show the New Democrats have passed the Liberals for a second time and are now giving the Conservatives a run for the lead.
The surge in support is mainly in Quebec, but polls suggest it may have some weight here in Edmonton.
The latest polls also indicate Jack Layton would be the opposition leader if the election was held today. And if a coalition did happen, he would be prime minister.
The Tories remain in the lead with the support of 37.8 per cent of decided voters. But the New Democrats have climbed to 27.8 per cent, rushing past the Liberals who fall to 22.9 per cent.
The Bloc Quebecois and the Greens round out the poll with 5.8 per cent and 4.7 per cent, respectively.
Nanos conducted the polling on behalf of CTV and the Globe and Mail over April 23, 24 and 26. Polling was not conducted on Easter Monday.
Experts say the NDP will have to survive the stream of attacks from all the other parties, including the Conservatives.
"People are going to look at Jack Layton not only as a guy who is inexperienced, everyone starts off with no experience that is a given, but a guy who comes from a party who has financial economic policies who are not in the interest, certainly of Alberta as the very least, and very questionable," said Conservative candidate Laurie Hawn.
The Conservatives have pointed out when Jack Layton is in Alberta he says, ‘oil sands', but when he is in the east, he uses the activists term, ‘tar sands.'
And with the NDP surging in the polls just five days before the election, the leaders are tightening their message.
"The fact that the NDP may be the leading opposition party actually clarifies the choice for Canadians," said Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.
The Liberal leader is now fighting to remain the official opposition. In an open letter to Quebec voters Michael Ignatieff says the Liberals are committed to respecting Quebecers.
"I am committed to forming a government that respects Quebec's culture and identity," it reads.
On Wednesday night, former prime minister Jean Chretien will join Ignatieff in Quebec, doing what he can to rally the Liberal troops.
With files from Kevin Armstrong and CTV.ca
