Article content continued

NDP leader Andrea Horwath also showed a three-point surge in popularity, with 24% of those polled believing she would be the best person to run the province.

Green Party leader Mike Schreiner came in at five per cent, down eight points from last year.

Wright expects the poll numbers to sway back and forth once the writ drops in September and the election campaign officially begins.

“The electorate isn’t engaged yet in the campaign because it hasn’t really gotten underway,” he said. “What the numbers are showing is that all parties are still in the game, all parties in the hunt and there is some movement going on.”

In a flash sample poll conducted last weekend on 400 decided voters, Ipsos Reid found that the gap between Hudak and McGuinty continues to narrow. Of those polled, 38% say they would vote for Hudak and the Conservatives if an election were held tomorrow, while 36% would stick with McGuinty and the Liberals.

Despite these findings, the poll also discovered Ontarians are divided on whether they think the province is headed in the right track.

Fifty-one per cent responded yes, while 49% believed no, a drop of 19 points from last year.

Although attitudes about the province have vastly improved, 66% believe “it’s time for another political party to take over,” compared with 34% who say the “McGuinty government has done a good job and deserves re-election.”

According to the poll, Hudak still maintains a slight lead over McGuinty in most positive leadership attributes, including having a vision for the province, managing the province’s health care system and someone who is open to the ideas of others.