Doug Ford is finding traction with Ontario voters by talking about government accountability, affordability and cutting waste, suggests a new survey examining why the PC party is ahead in the polls.

At the same time, Premier Kathleen Wynne’s key talking points — boosting the minimum wage and pharmacare — appear at the bottom of a list of priorities for the electorate, says Campaign Research based on its recent poll of voters.

“From the Liberal perspective, I would be a bit surprised at things like pharmacare ... and minimum wage, that those aren’t higher on the scale. That’s what the Liberals are talking about almost exclusively, and the throne speech expanded on those,” Campaign Research CEO Eli Yufest said.

“On one hand, the Liberals are continuing with those policies when we know they’re not what’s really important (to voters) ... On the flip side, what primarily the PCs and Doug Ford are talking about — affordability and accountability and cutting waste in government — these things are driving voters to consider voting for the party or the leader.”

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Using a 1,637-person online panel, Campaign Research conducted the survey between March 12 and 14, finding that “making life more affordable for Ontarians” and “accountability to the citizens of Ontario” are the two most “overt” policy planks valued by voters, followed by “improving the health-care system,” and “cutting waste in government.”

Accountability was the top policy area, rated as “extremely important” by 61 per cent of those surveyed, followed by affordability (60 per cent), and improving health care and cutting government waste (tied at 59 per cent).

Doug Ford visited the Ontario legislature on March 12 for the first time since becoming leader of the province’s Progressive Conservatives. Ford says he plans to be “out on the road” as much as possible before the June 7 election. (The Canadian Press)

Boosting the minimum wage was extremely important to just 22 per cent of those polled, with support for the sex-ed curriculum and support for cap-and-trade/carbon tax tied for last (17 per cent).

When using an advanced analysis to look at what matters to voters the most, “supporting entrepreneurs and small business” replaced cutting waste for third spot.

Wynne, who trails Ford in every public survey, on Tuesday refused to be drawn into questions about polls — noting the only one that matters is June 7.

“I’m going to continue to do my job. I’m going to continue to work to put in place the conditions that will allow people to care for one another in their communities and look after themselves,” the premier said during a campaign announcement at Leaside Curling Club.

“And then the people of Ontario, who are wise and just people, will make a decision. I have faith in our democratic process. So that’s actually the poll that means the most to me.”

Ford, who was at Queen’s Park on Tuesday to meet with caucus, told reporters that in general he doesn’t pay too much attention to public opinion polls.

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“I’d rather be ahead in the polls than behind,” he said.

“The only poll that counts is on election day,” he added, saying he is looking forward to campaigning. “A lot of things happen in 79 days.”

The Campaign Research survey found that Ford’s message resonates the most, “in part because it’s a simple thing to understand,” said Yufest.

Ford talks about cutting waste in government and that is “fundamentally making things more affordable,” said Yufest. “On the flip side, what Kathleen Wynne is talking about is making life more affordable by providing pharmacare” and a better minimum wage.

Sex-ed is among the lowest-priority issues for voters. While it was a big issue in the PC leadership context, “if I was Doug Ford and his team, I would not be spending any time talking about sex-ed in the general election,” Yufest also said.

Wynne, who rated the poorest of the three party leaders, scores highest on issues “that don’t drive strong ratings. She has the biggest battle of the three leaders.”

“Rather than saying ‘I’m giving your kids free pharmacare or giving the most vulnerable a wage increase,’ she needs to say ‘I’m doing these things because I’m making your life more affordable.’ ... The context needs to be affordability,” Yufest said.

Meanwhile, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath “needs to break through being middle-of-the-road and come out with compelling policies,” as she did on the weekend announcing dental benefits for all Ontario workers, Yufest also said.

Horwath outperforms Wynne and Ford on “middle tier” issues such as affordable housing and education, and from now on “needs to speak to the two core drivers — accountability and affordability — and these other things where she can differentiate herself,” Yufest said. “Then she’s speaking to a wider swath of the electorate.

“She’s personally very popular,” he added. “It’s a matter of translating all that positive possibility into momentum.”

With files from Rob Ferguson

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