Ontario Liberals’ austerity budget gets thumbs-up

57 per cent approve of pay freeze, poll finds, as PC support plunges

The Liberals’ austerity budget is being well received by Ontarians who are punishing the Progressive Conservatives for opposing it, a new poll suggests. In the first major public opinion survey since Finance Minister Dwight Duncan tabled the belttightening spending plan Tuesday, Forum Research found there is a significant appetite for restraint. The two-year pay freeze for 1.2 million teachers, doctors, nurses, and other public servants met with 57 per cent approval, while only about a third — 35 per cent — opposed it and 8 per cent were unsure. Similar wage measures for MPPS, hospital executives, school board brass, and high rollers at universities and colleges were also hugely popular. Five out of six Ontarians — 83 per cent — welcomed the politicians’ pay freeze, with 8 per cent against it and 9 per cent uncertain. And 79 per cent approved of keeping a lid on public-sector executive compensation, while 14 per cent objected and 7 per cent were uncertain. Forcing wealthier seniors to pay more for their prescription drugs through a means test was supported by 68 per cent, with 26 per cent disliking the idea and 6 per cent not feeling strongly one way or another. Forum president Lorne Bozinoff said the poll shows Premier Dalton Mcguinty “has made a good case for these cutbacks.”

“People are saying, ‘Yeah, I understand the Liberals are forced to do this,’ ” he said Thursday.

The interactive voice-response telephone poll of 1,131 people, conducted Wednesday, is considered accurate plus or minus 2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Bozinoff said the other winner in the survey is NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who has yet to say whether her caucus will prop up the minority Liberals and pass the budget.

Tory Leader Tim Hudak’s hasty vow to vote against the spending plan, possibly triggering an election as early as May 24, appears to have hurt him.

The Tories dropped to 34 per cent — down from 40 per cent in Forum’s last poll two weeks ago — while the Liberals rose slightly to 30 per cent from 28 per cent. The NDP is also at 30 per cent, up from 23 per cent on March 14.

Hudak’s personal popularity has dipped to 24 per cent from 27 per cent, Mcguinty’s remained at 30 per cent, while Horwath was up to 46 per cent from 43 per cent.

“She’s really hitting her stride. This is a three-way race. But I don’t think we’re going to see an election any time soon — who would benefit from it?” said Bozinoff.

The Liberals’ threat to enact legislation to prevent public-sector wages from rising was endorsed by 47 per cent with 37 per cent opposed and 16 per cent uncertain.

Similarly, opening 25 LCBO stores to generate $100 million was approved by 48 per cent.