Ford's PC Party has eight-point lead over Liberals but Crombie gaining ground in some areas: poll

Who will replace Crombie as Mississauga's mayor? As Bonnie Crombie says goodbye to the Mississauga mayor's office, the unofficial race to replace her has begun.

While Ontario’s PC Party is maintaining its lead in Ontario, a new poll suggests that Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals appear to be gaining ground in some regions of the province.

The Liason Strategies poll, released Tuesday, found that 34 per cent of respondents would vote for Doug Ford’s PC Party if an election were held today, compared to 26 per cent who said they would vote for the Liberals, and 18 per cent who would cast their ballot for the NDP. A further 15 per cent of respondents were undecided. Among decided and leaning voters only, the Tories had the support of 38 per cent of respondents compared to 30 per cent each for the Liberals and 22 per cent for the NDP.

The poll, which was conducted between Feb. 2 and Feb. 3, surveyed 1,236 Ontario voters throughout the province.

"While Doug Ford is leading the Crombie Liberals by eight points, the regionals are looking a little rosier for Crombie," David Valentin, principal at Liaison Strategies, said in a written statement accompanying the poll.

Valentin noted that the Liberals are leading in the northern part of the province, with 34 per cent support, as well as Toronto, with 40 per cent support. In the 905, the Liberals and Tories are tied at 38 per cent support.

Valentin goes on to note that Ford has a “commanding lead in most other regions,” with the strong support in Eastern Ontario, where 46 per cent of respondents said they would vote for the Tories. In southwestern Ontario, 40 per cent confirmed that they would support Ford’s PC Party.

The poll also found that residents of the province have a “dim view of the healthcare system.”

According to the poll, a “strong majority” of respondents, about 66 per cent, believe the healthcare system is worse today than it was five years ago.

About 48 per cent said they believe the system will stay the same, while 24 per cent believe it will deteriorate further.

About 78 per cent of respondents said they were not confident they could see a family doctor within 24 hours, 69 per cent said they were not confident they would receive a room in a hospital if needed, 82 per cent said they were not confident in their ability to see a specialist before a medical condition got worse, and 74 per cent said they were not confident they could get a necessary surgery in a timely fashion.

"Ontarians' confidence in the healthcare system is broken but at the same time, they would re-elect the incumbent government today,” Valentin noted.

“There is very little confidence in any aspect of the system… We've seen many stories about the healthcare system in the last few months and it's clear from those stories and personal experiences that Ontarians have concluded there is not much in the system they can depend on.”

The poll is considered accurate plus or minus 2.79 per cent, 19 times out of 20.