More than a third of Canadians believe the country's two largest political parties, the Liberals and federal Conservatives, have become more extreme and further from the center in their political beliefs, according to a new poll.

The nonprofit Angus Reid Institute (opens in a new tab) wrote in a press release Thursday: "As federal political parties take turns calling each other extremists, there is a widespread belief that policy options are They are abandoning the middle".

Overall, about a third (36%) of Canadians surveyed describe themselves as "political orphans" who find all parties to be "too extreme." This finding includes half (47 percent) of respondents who consider themselves part of the political middle.

In addition, many Canadians believe that the federal Liberals and Conservatives are further from the center in terms of political beliefs.

Nearly half (48 percent) say they have no choice but to vote for a person or party that "truly represents" their views.

"This is a common sentiment even among likely voters," wrote the Angus Reid Institute. The report noted that two in five current Conservative (40%) and Liberal (39%) supporters believe they do not have political options that represent their views. This also applies to 58% of likely NDP voters and 55% of Bloc Quebec voters.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from August 29 to September 4 among a representative random sample of 1,602 Canadian adults who are part of the Angus Reid Society. This survey was conducted in person and paid for by the institution. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has a margin of error of +/- 2 percent, 19 times out of 20.

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