The Numbers

Éric Grenier and Philippe J. Fournier
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Apr 3, 2025 • 35min

Do the polls make sense?

While the consensus in the polls pretty clearly points to an advantage for Mark Carney’s Liberals over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, what should we make of those individual surveys that show the race to be far closer — perhaps even tied? And how should we interpret the polls that show the Liberals surging in regions they haven’t won in decades?In this episode of The Numbers, we try to make some sense of the numbers. We also look at some polls from Léger that have surprising regional breakdowns of support within Ontario and British Columbia.Throughout this campaign, we’ll have new episodes of The Numbers on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the Saturday episodes being exclusively for members of our Patreon. Members will also get to suggest questions for the mailbag portion of our Saturday episodes as well as gain access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodYou can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 31, 2025 • 35min

Liberals enter uncharted territory

It’s clear enough that Mark Carney’s Liberals would be the favourites to win this election if it were held today. But as support for the party in parts of the country grows to levels not seen in decades, just where those Liberal seat gains will happen is tough to predict.On this episode of The Numbers, we discuss how the electoral map is shifting. We also chat about whether or not Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats can beat expectations and if there are any signs that Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives can turn things around.Throughout this campaign, we’ll have new episodes of The Numbers on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the Saturday episodes being exclusively for members of our Patreon. Members will also get to suggest questions for the mailbag portion of our Saturday episodes as well as gain access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodDid you miss our special episode on Saturday? Patreon members can listen to it here.https://www.patreon.com/posts/week-1-goes-to-125451769You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 27, 2025 • 40min

As NDP collapses, Carney hits new highs

Early campaign polls show that the New Democrats under Jagmeet Singh are in freefall, propelling Mark Carney’s Liberals to new highs in support. Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives are holding steady, but that just means they are losing ground as the Liberals keep moving ahead.On this episode of The Numbers, Philippe J. Fournier and I discuss what the latest polling numbers say about how this campaign is unfolding. Can the NDP save any of its seats? Have the Liberals run into trouble in Quebec? And will the Conservatives be able to turn things around?Throughout this campaign, we’ll have new episodes of The Numbers on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the Saturday episodes being exclusively for members of our Patreon. Members will also get to suggest questions for the mailbag portion of our Saturday episodes as well as gain access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodYou can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 24, 2025 • 37min

The Liberal advantage is real

The writ has dropped and the campaign buses are rolling. It also means the pollsters are polling — and, as hard as their numbers are to believe after what has been an extraordinary few months, you better believe them. The Liberal edge is real.But can it be sustained for the next five weeks? On this episode of The Numbers, we discuss whether or not Mark Carney’s Liberals have hit their ceiling and just how solid their support really is. We also break down the difficult situation Jagmeet Singh and the New Democrats find themselves in.Starting this week and going straight through to the end of the campaign, we’ll have new episodes of The Numbers on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the Saturday episodes being exclusively for members of our Patreon. Members will also get to suggest questions for the mailbag portion of our Saturday episodes as well as gain access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodYou can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 20, 2025 • 39min

The Liberals are...the favourites?

A flurry of polls conducted just ahead of Sunday’s expected writ drop show the Liberals in the lead — and potentially in majority territory. Have the Liberals really gone from catastrophic to the favourites in a matter of weeks?On this episode of The Numbers, we break down the polls showing Mark Carney’s Liberals to be ahead of Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives and try to make sense of what is happening. We also discuss results from two provincial byelections held in Quebec and Manitoba this week.Starting next week straight through to the end of the campaign, we’ll have new episodes of The Numbers on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the Saturday episodes being exclusively for members of our Patreon. Members will also get to suggest questions for the mailbag portion of our Saturday episodes as well as gain access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodYou can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 13, 2025 • 35min

Are you ready for an election?

Mark Carney won the Liberal leadership race in emphatic fashion on Sunday and an election call seems only days away.This week on The Numbers, we dissect the results of the Liberal leadership contest and what the latest polls are saying about Carney’s chances against Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives. Plus, we take a look at some new provincial numbers out of Quebec and British Columbia.Want even more of The Numbers? Members of our Patreon get extra mailbag episodes every week and special episodes monthly, as well as access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodYou can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 6, 2025 • 46min

Has the Liberal surge peaked already?

A series of polls published last week put the Liberals and Conservatives neck-and-neck. This week, the numbers are putting Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives back in front by a sizeable margin. Has the Liberal surge already ended?This week on The Numbers, we dissect the latest federal polling numbers. We also do a round of over/unders on Sunday’s Liberal leadership race where Mark Carney is heavily favoured to win, plus we discuss some new polling out of Quebec. Then, Philippe has a Quiz on past Liberal leadership contests.Want even more of The Numbers? Members of our Patreon get extra mailbag episodes every week and special episodes monthly, as well as access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodYou can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Feb 28, 2025 • 26min

About last night in Ontario...

Doug Ford gambled when he called an early election, but it paid off in spades last night as his Progressive Conservatives won their third consecutive majority government. It wasn’t necessarily the bigger mandate he wanted, but a win’s a win. And that was a win.The surprise of the night, though, was the performance of Marit Stiles’s NDP. The party’s vote went down significantly, as the polls predicted. But the NDP still managed to squeeze a lot of seats out of a lot less of the vote, as incumbency ruled the day in what was an otherwise status quo election. We try to make some sense out of how the NDP managed to defy expectations. And what do we make of the performance of Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals — good enough to regain recognized party status, but not good enough to get their leader elected?Want even more of The Numbers? Members of our Patreon get extra mailbag episodes every week and special episodes monthly, as well as access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodYou can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Feb 26, 2025 • 39min

The polls have gone crazy

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks in the polls as the Liberals have closed the gap on the Conservatives. At first, the Liberals were merely on track for a smaller defeat than before. But now the polls are pointing to the possibility that the prime minister after the next election might not be Pierre Poilievre. It could be Mark Carney.This week on The Numbers, we delve into the wild federal polls that have been published over the last few days. We also discuss the Liberal leadership race, the resignations of two Atlantic premiers and give our final assessment of the Ontario election campaign. Doug Ford’s PCs are heading to a majority victory, but what is going to happen to Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals and Marit Stiles’s NDP?Want even more of The Numbers? Members of our Patreon get extra mailbag episodes every week and special episodes monthly, as well as access to our Discord. You can get these exclusives and support our joint project by becoming a member of our Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/c/thenumberspodYou can also watch this episode on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Feb 20, 2025 • 53min

The NDP is in deep trouble

The discussion dives into the precarious state of the NDP, whose poll numbers have plummeted to alarming lows. With the Liberals gaining ground, the potential shift in leadership poses a significant threat. Insights on Ontario's election reveal possible losses for the NDP as competition intensifies. The hosts also explore unique political ads timed with a big hockey game and share trivia that reflects on Canada’s electoral history. Plus, there's anticipation for upcoming elections in Manitoba, British Columbia, and Yukon!

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