A growing number of Ontario voters say the policies of the Ford government make them less likely to vote for Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives in the fall federal election, says a new poll that has been tracking the issue. In June, 54 per cent of those polled by Corbett Communications said they felt that way, but now 60 per cent do.
Among Ontarians who have voted Conservative in past federal elections, almost 20 per cent say the Ontario government makes them wary of doing so again. “This is something Scheer is desperately afraid of and it hasn’t gotten any better,” said veteran pollster John Corbett. “It’s gotten worse … if things keep going like that, he has already lost Ontario.” The poll, conducted July 9 and 10 amid the ongoing patronage controversy in the Ford government, was conducted using Maru/Blue’s Maru Voice Canada online panel, which is opt-in.
With a sample size of 481, a comparable margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Read more:
Critics have seized on linking the two leaders, given the massive unpopularity of Ford and his policies in Ontario. Earlier last month, attack ads seen by millions of Canadians during the NBA playoffs portrayed Scheer as a puppet of Ford.
Scheer later told the Star’s Robert Benzie that he is his “own” man and “very optimistic about the chances of winning … a lot of seats back in Ontario.” He also said “the difference in this federal election is going to be between myself and Justin Trudeau,” distancing himself from Ford. “I am my own person. I have my own style. I have my own approach. We’re going to be laying out our own policies,” he said. Scheer also said voters could “avoid the types of tough decisions that are happening in Ontario” by voting Conservative on Oct. 21. Corbett called it a tough situation for Scheer “who can’t do anything … all Ford has to do is exist and be the premier to cause bad feelings … shy of Ford leaving the office, he’s going to have this downward pressure on Scheer’s vote.” The poll found that among respondents, 38 per cent would vote Liberal in the federal election, 33 per cent would vote Conservative, with the NDP and Greens at just over 10 per cent each. Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy
-Neeckin- on July 15th, 2019 at 12:51 UTC »
I wonder if Scheer is wishing Brown had won instead, or near anyone else besides Ford.
MenudoMenudo on July 15th, 2019 at 12:00 UTC »
Makes sense. Ford forced everyone in Ontario to take a big bite of his shit sandwich, and now Scheer offers even more shit sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner and they all stand around confused when people aren't pumped for more.
"I though everyone wanted to fire teachers, defund medical programs, pump more pollution into our lakes and rivers and let the oil industry run the country. We even played catch up on corruption and gave all our buddies cushy patronage jobs, just like the voters demanded, and yet they're not happy. How odd..."
"Maybe if we give the 1% a huge tax cut, that'll be the thing that turns it around."
Bombauer- on July 15th, 2019 at 11:19 UTC »
Could somebody please explain the margin of error that they describe?
They say +/- 4.5%, 19 out of 20 times. What does this mean? I think I would understand the +- 4.5%, but I don't understand it when the 19/20 is also mentioned.