Nanos on why the problem for the Conservatives goes deeper than Erin O'Toole

Nanos: Polling trouble for Liberals and Tories Nik Nanos breaks down the latest polling showing trouble for both the Liberals and Conservatives amid rising tensions over COVID-19.

While the trucker protests seen in Ottawa and other parts of the country may have been an "enabling" event for some Conservative caucus members to oust Erin O'Toole, the party's problems run deeper than just the leader, said Nanos Research's Nik Nanos on the latest episode of Trend Line.

"The fact that this particular vote is or has occurred is actually a problem for the Conservatives," said Nanos, who added that big questions about the future of the party would have remained even if O'Toole won the support of caucus and remained as leader.

"The Conservatives have to be united. If they're not united, they can't win the election period. Full stop," he said. "Parties don't win when they can't even agree on some fundamentals."

And the Conservatives aren't the only party with leadership issues, said Nanos. Justin Trudeau's latest preferred prime minister tracking numbers – who Canadians want to see as the next prime minister – are at their lowest point since 2019.

To hear more analysis from Nanos, click on the audio or video attached to this article.

You can find a new episode of Trend Line every second Wednesday on CTVNews.ca, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.