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The Greens polled at almost 23 per cent on the Island, tying the Liberals within the margin of error.

The Liberals commissioned the poll by Maple Leaf Strategies, run by former Liberal strategist Dimitri Pantazopoulos. It surveyed 801 voters provincewide from Jan. 20 to 23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 per cent.

“I believe this is a roadmap to victory,” said Liberal MLA Jas Johal. “We’ve got to focus on re-engaging British Columbians. We’ve got to focus on getting new candidates out there with new policy ideas.”

The figures strengthen what all party strategists seem to have acknowledged: Were an election to be held this year, it would likely come down to an intense fight for a small number of swing voters in fewer than a dozen key Metro battleground ridings, in Surrey, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, Richmond and North Vancouver.

Environment, climate change and global warming are the top issues on the minds of voters in all regions of the province, according to the poll.

Housing affordability is close behind in Metro Vancouver and the Island, but in the Interior is swamped by health care, the economy, pipelines and senior’s care, according to the poll.

The survey showed a plurality of voters don’t feel the NDP has delivered to date on practical solutions on its election promises to improve affordability for homeowners and renters, tackle auto insurance rates or make real progress on money laundering.

That could open up an avenue for the Liberals to claim the NDP is taking the province in the wrong direction, and doesn’t deserve more time in office.