Canada

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Liberal MP's Justin Trudeau, right, is shown with Dominique Leblanc in Ottawa on in this May 11, 2011 photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

On a day when Justin Trudeau's Liberal leadership bid won the support of Dominic LeBlanc, a scion of Canada's Liberal establishment, a new poll came out that suggests he could reshape the country's political landscape.

The latest Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey says 36 per cent of those who took part in the poll across the country last week said they would be certain or likely to vote Liberal in the next election if Trudeau is at the party's helm.

The poll says he would get "significant support" east of Manitoba, with 40 per cent of those surveyed in Ontario, 43 per cent in Quebec and 48 per cent in Atlantic Canada indicating they would be certain or likely to vote for the Liberals if Trudeau is leading the party.

"Justin Trudeau, more than any other prospective candidate we tested, holds the best prospect for a revival of the Liberal party," said Allan Gregg, chairman of Harris-Decima. "In fact he is the only candidate we tested that has the potential to broaden the Liberal vote beyond its current base."

Gregg said the results in Quebec "debunk the myth that the Trudeau name is a liability in the province of Quebec or among francophones."

The poll also suggests that while Trudeau is a threat to the Conservatives, the NDP has the most to lose from his leadership of the Liberals.

The poll suggests that if Quebec MP Marc Garneau were leading the Liberals, 18 per cent of respondents would be certain or likely to vote for the party, while the Bank of Canada's Mark Carney stood at 16 per cent.

The telephone poll taken between Sept. 27 and 30 of just over 1,000 Canadians is considered accurate within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.