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The Liberals' choice of Stephane Dion as their next leader seems to have the initial stamp of approval from the Canadian public and has given the party a bump in popularity, a new poll finds.

"We have the Liberal grassroots thinking that Dion was a better choice and Canadians seem to agree," said CTV News Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife.

The Strategic Counsel poll for CTV and The Globe and Mail found that 55 per cent of Canadians consider Dion to be a good choice for leader.

Nineteen per cent felt the Quebec MP and cabinet veteran was a poor choice, while 27 per cent had no opinion.

"Stephane Dion is a little like (former Liberal prime minister) Jean Chretien. The media and elites always underestimated Chretien, but he identified with people on Main Street," Fife said.

"I think average Canadians respect Stephane Dion because he's gutsy and he's tough, and I think (Conservative Prime Minister) Stephen Harper should be very careful."

In Dion's home province, 62 per cent found Dion a good choice while 29 per cent said he was a poor one.

Both those numbers are the highest and lowest for any regional breakout.
While 27 per cent polled either didn't know or refused to answer the Dion question, that number dropped to nine per cent in Quebec.

"They know him better there," pollster Tim Woolstencroft of The Strategic Counsel told CTV.ca.

Dion has been a polarizing figure in Quebec because he is a strong federalist.

Right now, a good interpretation is that Canadians appear willing to give Dion a chance, he said.