Despite BC United’s pledge to eliminate provincial income tax on the first $50,000 earned by people in B.C., the latest polling shows the campaign-style promise has done little, if anything, to recover possible votes.
The latest survey from Abacus Data was conducted one day after BCU Leader Kevin Falcon made the promise, between Aug. 14 and 16.
Falcon claimed the cut would eliminate provincial income tax for 60 per cent of residents. He said this would be the largest tax cut in B.C.’s history, and would put an average of $2,050 back into the pockets of British Columbians.
Abacus Data’s polling shows BC United has the support of 10 per cent of committed voters, down three from May.
It also shows that if an election was held on Friday, the “BC NDP would likely win another majority government.”
However, it also found that the 18-point lead that it had found during its November survey had been cut severely — the NDP now sits above the BC Conservatives by just five percentage points.
“The BC NDP has the support of 42% of committed voters, a two point increase from May. The BC Conservatives are second with 37%, up 3,” Abacus stated Friday.
The BC Greens, meanwhile, are at 10 per cent, the pollster says, “unchanged from our last survey.”
Abacus surveyed 1,000 eligible voters, it said, and of those who are committed to voting in the upcoming October election, 45 per cent said they would be voting for the NDP. The Conservatives took 38 per cent, with BCU and the Greens sitting at nine and seven per cent, respectively.
Abacus also found that within the Metro Vancouver boundaries and on Vancouver Island, the NDP is up by nine per cent over the Conservatives. However, in the Interior and Northern B.C., the Convervatives are leading by 11 points.
The provincial election is slated for Oct. 19.