Belinda Stronach may have been warmly welcomed by her new Liberal caucus colleagues, but the public is split on her sudden flight across the floor of the House of Commons.

According to the results of a poll conducted for CTV and The Globe and Mail, news of Stronach's defection attracted attention nationwide.

They were split on what to think of the move, however.

Of the 500 people surveyed May 17 -- the day Stronach announced she was leaving the Opposition for a cabinet post with the minority Liberal government -- 34 per cent said it's a positive move.

Thirty-eight per cent viewed it as a negative, while 20 per cent said they were indifferent.

Among Liberal supporters who had been thinking of throwing their support behind one of the other parties, however, support for Stronach was strong.

Almost six in 10 had a positive reaction, suggesting the move bolstered Liberal votes among their so-called "soft" supporters.

If that's good news for Liberal bean counters, then Conservative number crunchers have reason to cheer as well. Voters once committed to voting Conservative have seen their conviction strengthened, the poll found.

When asked whether Stronach's realignment had an impact on the decision to vote Liberal in the next federal election, 27 per cent said they'd be more likely to back the Grits.

Forty-four per cent said they'd be less likely to vote Conservative.

Regardless of partisan leanings, 38 per cent of all those surveyed saw Prime Minister Paul Martin's successful wooing of the Ontario MP as an example of "Liberal manipulation and their desire to cling to power at all costs."

Another 42 per cent said the move highlights concerns about Conservative leader Stephen Harper's abilities.

Drawn from a national sample of 500 adult Canadians, the survey yields a 4.4 per cent margin error, 19 times out of 20.