Canadian Conservatives take lead in poll

OTTAWA, June 25 (UPI) -- National favor has swung back to the Conservative Party of Canada over the Liberals in a poll published Thursday by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

The national EKOS poll of 3,505 adults conducted June 17-23 showed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives with 34.8 percent support as Michael Ignatieff's Liberals lost ground to 32.6 percent, the CBC said.

The poll began during the week where Ignatieff again threatened to bring down the minority government, but ultimately voted to keep them in power during Parliament's summer recess.

Support among the other three national parties was 14.3 percent for the socialist New Democratic Party, 9.3 percent for the Greens and 9 percent for the separatist Bloc Quebecois, the survey indicated.

The approval rating on the two main leaders showed Harper with 34 percent and Ignatieff with 32 percent. However, Harper's disapproval rate of 46 percent surpassed Ignatieff's 37 percent disapproval, the CBC said.

The poll had a 1.7 percent margin of error, EKOS said.