Whither Ontario? Voters divided over direction of province, poll shows

Did Ontario miss its exit?

Indeed, a new Forum Research survey suggests Premier Kathleen Wynne's latest policies may not have convinced the electorate that the province is on the right path.

According to the poll, provided exclusively to QP Briefing, many voters see Ontario heading in the wrong direction — or stuck in neutral. The findings come after the Liberal government rolled out plans aimed at reducing hydro bills and taming the Greater Toronto Area housing market. The findings also follow the Grits tabling a balanced budget for the first time since 2008.

Of those surveyed by Forum, 40 per cent said Ontario was heading in the wrong direction, 30 per cent said the province was going in neither the right nor wrong way, and 22 per cent approved of the path. Another eight per cent said they didn't know which way the province is heading.

“Almost twice as many people feel that Ontario is moving in the wrong direction than in the right direction," said Forum Research President Dr. Lorne Bozinoff in a release. "Ultimately, if the opposition parties can tap into this feeling of discontentment, it could help them in the next provincial election."

Forum contacted 1,103 random Ontario voters by phone for its survey, which was conducted on May 9 and 10. The poll's margin of error is three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

To contact the reporter on this story:
gzochodne@qpbriefing.com
416-212-5913
Twitter: @geoffzochodne