TORONTO, Nov 26: Canada’s Prime Minister Paul Martin, whose minority government is facing a vote of no confidence, got a boost on Saturday when a countrywide opinion poll put his Liberal party ahead of the Tories.

The Toronto Star poll suggested that Liberals might get a majority in fresh elections expected to to be held in January.

The opposition parties, which tabled the vote of no confidence against the Liberal government last week, are poised to win on Monday and parliament is likely to be dissolved the following day.

Most political analysts are of the view that fresh elections will produce another hung parliament, but the latest poll boosted Mr Martin’s hope of forming a majority government early next year.

The Nov 26 opinion poll, conducted by EKOS Research Associates for the Toronto Star newspaper, gave Liberals a 10-point lead over the second-placed New Conservative Party of Stephen Harper. According to the poll, the Liberals have 38.7 per cent of voter support, while the Conservatives have 29.4 per cent and New Democrats 16.9 per cent.

The Bloc Québécois, which fields candidates only in Quebec, has 10.6 per cent while the Green Party stands at 3.9 per cent.

In the 2000 election, the Liberals captured a majority of seats in the House of Commons.

In Ontario province, Liberal support stands at 46 per cent, while the Conservatives have 33 per cent and NDP 16 per cent.

British Columbia is shaping up as the hottest region in the campaign between now and voting day. The EKOS poll gives the Liberals 43 per cent there, New Democrats 33 per cent and the Tories 21 per cent.