UMVA has learned that a recent poll has delivered another blow to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Tories, showing the leaderless Ontario Liberals are edging ahead of the Tories in popularity.
The new numbers, released by Liaison Strategies, reveal that if an election were held today, 38% of decided voters would opt for the Ontario Liberals, while 35% would choose the Doug Ford PCs. The Ontario NDP continues to trend upward, snagging 22% of the vote.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the Liberals have moved from a tie to a three-point lead over the Tories. Liaison Principal David Valentin noted that this movement is against Ford, with the PCs down two points from May and the Liberals up one, and the NDP up two.
The poll results also mirror a recent trend that began late last year, where support for the Tories has slipped as support for the Liberals and the Ontario NDP has climbed. This comes on the heels of Ford's approval ratings reaching personal lows, with 69% of those polled disapproving of his performance as premier.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Ontarians are expressing deep dissatisfaction with the province's direction, with 66% saying it is headed in the wrong direction. Only 29% believe Ontario is headed in the right direction, making it an extremely difficult environment for an incumbent government.
The survey also identified health care as a major frustration point for Ontarians, with 60% reporting that someone in their household had trouble accessing timely health care during the past year. A staggering 67% of those polled said Ontario's health-care system is worse than it was a year ago.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that a significant majority of Ontarians, 66%, do not trust the current government to improve health care in Ontario. This lack of trust could have serious implications for the Tories as they navigate the complex and contentious issue of health care reform.
