Getting the Selinger government re-elected this spring continues to be a tough proposition for the NDP.

A new Mainstreet Research/Postmedia poll reveals the governing party continues to lag behind in third place, behind Brian Pallister’s Progressive Conservatives and Rana Bokhari’s Liberals. The poll found the Tories have the support of 44% of decided voters, followed by the Liberals at 27% and the NDP at 23%. The Greens are at 6%. In seat-rich Winnipeg, the Conservatives are at 37%, followed by the NDP at 28% and the Liberals at 27%.

The poll, conducted on Thursday, has similar results to last month’s Probe Research poll.

“Being in third place and needing to climb out of that hole, it’s going to take something special,” said Mainstreet Research president and CEO Quito Maggi.

While he believes that change would be policy driven, the poll also reveals the Selinger government’s top issue — infrastructure — isn’t resonating. In the past couple years, the NDP has reasoned that a higher PST and continuing deficits are needed to pay for sorely-needed road and infrastructure projects. But the poll found only 5% of respondents identified infrastructure as being the top issue in the coming election campaign.

Instead, the poll found health care is the top issue in Winnipeg, while the economy is ranked first outside the capital city. And respondents currently have little confidence in the NDP to do a good job managing either.

Only 19% of respondents think the NDP would do the best job managing the government’s finances, well behind the Conservatives at 36% and the Liberals at 23%. Meanwhile, on health care — an issue the NDP have historically done well on — only 23% of Manitobans thought the NDP is most likely to do a good job managing the portfolio. The Conservatives lead at 34%, while the Liberals are at 20%.

The poll is likely good news for Pallister, whose party leads across almost all demographics inside and outside of Winnipeg.

It’s also good news for Bokhari, whose party currently has only one seat in the Manitoba legislature but is likely benefiting from both the after-effects of the federal Liberals’ win in October, as well as lingering dissatisfaction with the Selinger government.

“I think right now it’s a three-way race and I think the Liberals can capitalize on that but that will depend on their election readiness,” Maggi said. “Once the real campaign begins, the added attention could create the momentum to put her over the top.”

For the NDP, the best news may be the number of undecided voters — pegged at 24% — and the fact the election is still three months away.

Maggi noted that undecided number sometimes contains “hidden incumbent support” from those who intend to support the current government but aren’t inclined to indicate such.

The poll has a margin of error of plus- or minus-2.49%, 19 times out of 20.

— With files from Kevin King

kevin.engstrom@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @kevin_engstrom