Canadian rightwing gains

OTTAWA - Canada's rightwing Reform Party is gaining momentum as the federal election campaign races toward the June 2nd vote, …

OTTAWA - Canada's rightwing Reform Party is gaining momentum as the federal election campaign races toward the June 2nd vote, a Reuters poll showed yesterday.

The daily tracking poll, conducted by Zogby International over the past three days, shows support for Reform growing to 19.3 per cent from 16.9 per cent in the Reuters Zogby survey on Sunday. It showed the ruling Liberals maintaining their solid lead nationally, with 42.2 per cent support, down slightly from Sunday's 43.8 per cent. The Conservatives were second at 20.6 per cent, up from 20.2 per cent on Sunday.

Reform posted the biggest gains in its western Canada strongholds of British Columbia, where support climbed to 40 per cent from 31 per cent and in Alberta, where it advanced to 51 per cent from 48 per cent on Sunday.