A growing number of Ontario voters say the policies of the Ford government make them less likely to vote for Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives in the fall federal election, says a new poll that has been tracking the issue.

In June, 54 per cent of those polled by Corbett Communications said they felt that way, but now 60 per cent do.

Among Ontarians who have voted Conservative in past federal elections, almost 20 per cent say the Ontario government makes them wary of doing so again.

“This is something Scheer is desperately afraid of and it hasn’t gotten any better,” said veteran pollster John Corbett. “It’s gotten worse … if things keep going like that, he has already lost Ontario.”

The poll, conducted July 9 and 10 amid the ongoing patronage controversy in the Ford government, was conducted using Maru/Blue’s Maru Voice Canada online panel, which is opt-in.

With a sample size of 481, a comparable margin of error is plus or minus 4.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

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A day after attack ads linked him to Doug Ford, Andrew Scheer says he is his ‘own’ man

Critics have seized on linking the two leaders, given the massive unpopularity of Ford and his policies in Ontario.

Earlier last month, attack ads seen by millions of Canadians during the NBA playoffs portrayed Scheer as a puppet of Ford.

Scheer later told the Star’s Robert Benzie that he is his “own” man and “very optimistic about the chances of winning … a lot of seats back in Ontario.”

He also said “the difference in this federal election is going to be between myself and Justin Trudeau,” distancing himself from Ford.

“I am my own person. I have my own style. I have my own approach. We’re going to be laying out our own policies,” he said.

Scheer also said voters could “avoid the types of tough decisions that are happening in Ontario” by voting Conservative on Oct. 21.

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Corbett called it a tough situation for Scheer “who can’t do anything … all Ford has to do is exist and be the premier to cause bad feelings … shy of Ford leaving the office, he’s going to have this downward pressure on Scheer’s vote.”

The poll found that among respondents, 38 per cent would vote Liberal in the federal election, 33 per cent would vote Conservative, with the NDP and Greens at just over 10 per cent each.

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