Majority of Ontarians Want Premier Ford to Resign, Says Recent Poll

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s popularity has hit a historic low in the wake of two explosive Greenbelt reports, according to a recent poll published on Friday.

The Angus Reid survey indicates that only around 28 percent of Ontarians approve of the premier, marking a five-point drop from his approval ratings in June. This represents the lowest rating he has received since his election in 2018.

In addition to dwindling approval ratings, over half of the respondents believe that Premier Ford should step down due to the Greenbelt controversy. Remarkably, this sentiment is shared by about a quarter of Progressive Conservative voters.

Ford’s support among PC voters has also taken a hit, dropping from 80 percent approval in June to 63 percent in September.

The online poll, conducted between August 31 and September 6, commenced just a day after a damning report by the province’s integrity commissioner exposed a lack of supervision and leadership, benefiting certain developers with ties to the housing ministry. It was conducted following an auditor general’s report that revealed significant biases and flaws in the process for selecting the 15 Greenbelt sites for development.

As a result of these revelations, Housing Minister Steve Clark resigned from his position, and his chief of staff, central to the decision-making, also stepped down. However, despite the controversy, the Progressive Conservatives continue to pursue their plans to develop portions of the Greenbelt. They have even committed to reassessing all two million acres of protected land and hundreds of land removal applications.

A substantial majority of the survey participants, approximately 71 percent, believe that the Greenbelt should remain protected and not be opened for development. Interestingly, more than half of the PC voters surveyed share this sentiment. Conversely, about 22 percent of respondents believe that the province needs more housing, even if it means encroaching on the Greenbelt.

In terms of political support, roughly 38 percent of Ontarians would still vote for the Progressive Conservatives, while 28 percent would opt for the NDP, and 22 percent would back the Liberals. The Ontario Liberals are currently in the early stages of a leadership race, and over half of party voters remain undecided about their preferred candidate. However, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie appears to have the most name recognition among the candidates.

Parvasi Media Group