The Justin Trudeau Liberals are now trailing the Conservatives slightly after delivering a widely unpopular budget this week, a Forum Research poll shows.

Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research, said there were several items that drew a strong negative response in Thursday’s budget and that added up to a drop in popular support for the government.

The cancellation of a tax credit for public transit users, the end of Canada Savings Bonds and higher taxes on alcohol turned off many Canadians.

“When you add it all up, probably everyone has something they don’t like about the budget,” Bozinoff said Friday.

The federal Liberals are now the first choice of 36% of decided and leaning voters, down from 39% last month.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives, who are in a leadership campaign, have the support of 38%, up from 35% at the end of February.

The NDP stands pat with 15% support, the Bloc Quebecois are down one point to 6% and the Green Party remains at 4%.

Four in 10 Canadians polled did not like Trudeau’s second budget and roughly the same number of people said they would be less likely to vote Liberal in the next federal election because of it.

Only 14% approved of the budget, while another 36% had no opinion and 10% said they didn’t know.

Perhaps more worrisome for the governing Liberals was the poll finding that 37% believe the budget will be bad for the economy and 41% think it will hurt the middle class, a key voting demographic.

Another 31% conclude the budget will have a neutral effect on the middle class and 10% see it as a good thing for that group.

“These budgets that continually increase taxes or phase out tax credits, which is kind of the same thing in people’s minds...I think they become a bit much for people,” Bozinoff said. “And I think that’s what they were feeling about some of these items.”

Budget commitments to enhance parental leave and child care services received a positive response, but Bozinoff said the loss of the tax credit for public transit appears to have really soured Canadians on the Liberals’ fiscal plan.Across Canada, Liberal support held in British Columbia and Quebec, but dipped a bit in the Atlantic Region and plunged in the prairies and Ontario.

Forum Research surveyed 1,029 Canadian voters and the results are considered accurate plus or minus 3%, 19 times out of 20.

aartuso@postmedia.com

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Something else that won't fly:

Privatizing the country’s airports is opposed by 45% of Canadians, a Forum Research poll found.

The Justin Trudeau government has been pondering the sell off of some of the country’s largest airports to generate billions of dollars — money it could use to fund its major infrastructure plans.

Forum Research uncovered strong opposition to the idea although about one-quarter of those polled were undecided and one in 10 liked the idea.

The pollster noted a mixed reaction when floating other budget items past voters.

Big yawn:

A significant number of people — 35% — couldn’t care less about the end of Canada Savings Bonds but 26% are not happy about this. Another 21% were okay with their demise, and 19% had no opinion.

Loved it:

Most Canadians polled support the fed’s new investment in childcare (52%) and almost half backed the increased parental leave in the budget.

Hated it:

Canadians were not pleased that the budget ends the popular tax credit for transit passes. The poll found that 37% think that’s a bad move with only 16% supporting it.

More taxes please:

Almost half (46%) of Canadians liked the increased tax on alcohol announced in the budget, while 37% gave it the thumbs down.