TORONTO — The Ontario Liberals have opened a narrow lead over the governing Progressive Conservatives, while Premier Doug Ford's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level recorded by Liaison Strategies' Ontario Political Tracker.The poll, released Friday, found the Ontario Liberal Party led by John Fraser at 38% support among decided and leaning voters, compared to 35% for Ford's Progressive Conservatives. The Ontario NDP, led by Marit Stiles, stood at 22%, while the Green Party received 4% support and other parties combined for 1%.The survey was conducted by Liaison Strategies between June 12 and June 15 using interactive voice response technology. A total of 1,000 Ontarians were surveyed through random digit dialing of landline and cellular phone numbers. The data was weighted using 2021 Census targets and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20..The results represent a shift from May, when the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives were tied. According to Liaison Strategies principal David Valentin, support for the Progressive Conservatives declined by two percentage points while Liberal support increased by one point and NDP support rose by two points.The survey also found Ford's personal approval rating has dropped significantly. 26% of respondents said they approve of the job he is doing as premier, while 69% said they disapprove.Public sentiment regarding the province's direction was similarly negative. 29% of respondents said Ontario is headed in the right direction, compared to 66% who believe it is moving in the wrong direction.Health care emerged as a major issue in the survey.A total of 60% of respondents said someone in their household had experienced difficulty obtaining timely health care during the past year. 35% reported no such difficulties, while 5% were unsure.Only 31% of respondents said they trust the Ontario government to improve access to health care..When asked to identify the province's top health-care priority, 30% selected increasing access to family doctors. Reducing emergency room wait times ranked second at 23%, followed by reducing surgery wait times at 17%. Improving mental health services was selected by 13% of respondents, while 9% identified improvements to long-term care as the top priority.The poll found majority support for several health-care policy options.61% of respondents said they support expanding the use of privately operated clinics provided patients continue to access services using their OHIP cards. 33% opposed the proposal and 7% were unsure.A separate question found 51% would support increased provincial spending on health care even if it resulted in a larger budget deficit, while 41% opposed higher spending under those circumstances.Regional voting intentions varied across the province.The Liberals led in the Greater Toronto Area's 905 region with 41% support and in Toronto with 46%. The Progressive Conservatives led in Eastern Ontario at 43% and Southwestern Ontario at 38%. The NDP held leads in Northern Ontario at 46% and South Central Ontario at 37%.The findings suggest a competitive political landscape ahead of the next provincial election, with voter concerns about health care and perceptions of the province's direction remaining key factors in public opinion.
