OTTAWA — A new poll indicates respondents oppose -- by a margin of 50 per cent to 43 -- the decision by the Harper government to stop seeking clemency in all cases where Canadians are sentenced to death in foreign counties.

The Harris-Decima survey, provided exclusively to The Canadian Press, also suggests sharp divisions on the subject along party lines.

Fifty-eight per cent of Conservatives polled supported the government's move, while strong majorities in all other parties opposed it.

There were also splits along other lines, suggesting younger, female and urban voters are more likely to oppose the decision.

Those are precisely the demographic groups the Tories have been hoping to woo in greater numbers in the next election in their quest to form a majority government.

The poll of just over 1,000 respondents was conducted Nov. 1-4 and is considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times in 20.