Weekly EKOS Tracking Poll: Look! It twitched!

Or was that just a trick of the light? It’s like the penultimate scene in the world’s most slow-moving horror movie, I’m telling y’all. Anyway, without further ado, the latest numbers, which show the Liberals back out in front for the first time in several weeks:

Liberals – 34.1 (+1.6)
Conservatives – 32.5 (-0.3)
NDP – 14.5 (-0.3)
Bloc – 8.6 (+0.2)
Green – 10.4 (-1.1)

Full details available here.

And some commentary from the indefatigable Frank Graves, who is likely very, very glad that he decided to release a bonus poll every week on something other than federal voting intention. This week, it’s all about swine flu, and the government’s handling thereof, which seems to be getting a collective thumbs up from Canadians, albeit not, it’s worth noting,  with nearly as much enthusiasm from cynical members of Generations X and Y:

A majority of Canadians approve the job the Harper government is doing to deal with the H1N1 virus, also called the swine flu. While media stories have ebbed and flowed about the seriousness of the pandemic, both currently and in the future, a majority of Canadians are content that the federal government is adequately prepared.

It is worth noting, however, that younger people, who are most vulnerable to the H1N1 virus, are also the least supportive of the government’s approach so far.

“The swine flu issue is reflective of the broader problem the opposition parties have, particularly the Liberals,” said EKOS President Frank Graves “While there is no affection or enthusiasm for the Harper government outside of its core base, there is also no burning sense of dissatisfaction. Many Canadians who say they intend to vote for other parties nonetheless give general approval to the direction of the government and, as we can see with the swine flu, also of its handling of particular issues of public concern.”