TORONTO, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- The race to replace Canada's prime minister has "the spectacle of a daily soap opera."
At least that's what the Liberal Party's own pollster thinks.
Michael Marzolini, head of Toronto-based Pollara, is telling Liberals to be more humble or there could be a plot twist in the offing.
He says Canadians aren't exactly in the mood to watch the saga drag on, even though Prime Minister Jean Chretien has plans to step down in February 2004.
"Liberal support may not have dropped, but the 'foundations' of Liberal support are not as strong as they were," Marzolini wrote in a party newsletter.
"Approval ratings need a shot in the arm, and the public's impression of both the Liberal Party and the federal government need time to recover," he added. "Cynicism toward politics has increased, and fewer people than before are applauding."
Marzolini also warned there's a growing perception among Canadians that the Liberal government is arrogant after eight years in power.
Case in point: A poll his own firm conducted last May found that 45 percent of Canadians believed the Chretien government was corrupt.
Even more astonishing, 65 percent of them believed the corruption ran right through the government.
That would usually be enough scare any political pollster, but there's no need for Marzolini to worry too much.
A competitor's poll released earlier this month found the Liberals have 44 percent support among Canadians, while the right-wing Progressive Conservatives have just 20 percent.
The right-wing Canadian Alliance and socialist New Democratic Party each have about 13 percent support.
To combat any perception his government might be corrupt, Chretien is working on a tough new ethics plan.
The details are still being finalized, but it could even force spouses of members of Parliament and federal senators to disclose their personal financial holdings.
A new independent officer of Parliament would collect the information and make a general list of the assets public.
Politicians would also have to detail assets, any gifts they receive, spending habits, or trips they take worth more than $250 that are paid by a company or organization.
The government is expected to reveal more about the plan when the House of Commons begins a new session Sept. 30.
And finally, words that may come back to haunt one Liberal leadership hopeful.
Industry Minister John Manley says he'd "rather jump off the Peace Tower than raise the GST."
The GST is a 7 percent federal "goods and services tax" slapped on almost everything Canadians buy.
And the Peace Tower is the famous 300-foot clock tower at the center of the Ottawa's Parliament Hill.
Manley denied reports this week that the Liberal government is considering hiking the tax to pay for new programs.
But you just never know. Manley could well be Canada's next prime minister.
If his government has to raise the GST for whatever reason, he may just have to learn how to fly.
