In the midst of a coalition showdown, Canadians are deeply divided on whether the Conservatives deserve to stay in power, with 35 per cent saying the party should continue to govern and 40 per cent wanting change, according to an Angus Reid Strategies poll for CTV News.

If the government does collapse, respondents were equally split on whether a coalition government would be the best option for Canada.

Slightly more than a third of Canadians said they would support a coalition government formed by the opposition, when asked about their preferred solution if the government falls:

• Opposition coalition: 37 per cent
• Holding a federal election: 32 per cent
• No sure: 24 per cent
• Allowing the opposition to run by accord: 7 per cent

If the opposition ran the House of Commons by accord, it would mean one ruling party with the support of one or more parties who do not have MPs with cabinet posts.

The online poll, conducted on Dec. 1 and 2, also asked Canadians about their comfort level with the Bloc Quebecois involved in the coalition, and whether they wanted Liberal Leader Stephane Dion as prime minister.

According to the survey, 57 per cent agreed with the statement that they were "worried about the Bloc Quebecois becoming involved in the federal government." Another 30 per cent disagreed.

In Quebec, only 36 per cent agreed, while 47 per cent disagreed with the statement.

Meanwhile, 64 per cent of Canadians across Canada said they would be uncomfortable with Dion as leader of the government, while just 25 per cent said they would be fine with the idea.

In Ontario, where the Liberals traditionally pick up the lion's share of their votes, 60 per cent said they would be uncomfortable with Dion as prime minister. In Alberta, the Conservative heartland, it was 83 per cent.

Under the terms of the coalition, Dion has said he would govern until a new Liberal leader is chosen at a convention in May.

The survey also asked respondents about the issues that sparked serious discussion between the Liberals, NDP and Bloc about a coalition: the need for a significant stimulus package for the economy, and whether political parties should receive public funding.

A full 75 per cent thought the government should implement a stimulus package as soon as possible, while 17 per cent disagreed.

Thirty-four per cent supported political parties receiving public funding based on $1.95 per vote in the general election, while 48 per cent sent thought the parties should rely solely on their own fundraising.

Technical notes:

• The online poll was conducted from Dec. 1 to 2
• It's based on 1,012 randomly-selected Canadian adults
• The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20
• The results are statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region census data