The New Democrats have tied the federal Conservative Party on the Nanos Party Power Index for the first time since September 2014.

The Tories continued their downward trend, dropping for the third week in a row and leaving them at 51 out of a possible 100 points:

Liberals: 58 (up one point from last week)

Conservatives: 51 (down one point from last week)

NDP: 51 (unchanged)

Greens: 34 (up one point from last week)

Bloc: 25 (down one point from last week)

See the latest charts and graphs in our Nanos on the Numbers home page

A slight edge

The NDP just barely brushed past the Conservatives this week, as the two parties scored 51.4 and 51.2 points, respectively.

The Liberals remained atop the index, and the Green party also continued to rise, having moved four points since February.

The trial of suspended senator Mike Duffy might be contributing to the success of the Conservatives’ rivals, as dipping numbers could indicate Tory supporters migrating elsewhere.

How is the trial of suspended senator Mike Duffy affecting Harper's Conservatives? Posted by CTV News on Thursday, April 16, 2015

Bringing it back with the budget

The Conservatives will present their federal budget next week, and budgets are traditionally good for governments when it comes to garnering support. Harper will likely use it to showcase his party’s track record, which might help reverse trends we’ve been seeing for the past few weeks.

The weekly power index is based on a composite of the following public opinion measures: