Hudak’s Tories cling to slim lead as Ontario election kicks off

Ontario’s provincial election kicks off in earnest Tuesday, after a weekend that saw the ruling Liberals release an education-heavy platform amidst tightening polls. The Conservatives clung to a slim lead in a Nanos survey done for the Globe and Mail and CTV. While the New Democrats edged up to 22.8 per cent, buoyed by a wave of pro-Layton sentiment, the Liberals, at 31.9 per cent support, are now within four points of the Tories, at 35.4 per cent, after trailing by double digits for much of the last two years. On Monday, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced plans for a sweeping post-secondary tuition credit available to middle and lower class families. The pledge came a day after an internal Liberal campaign call was leaked to the Canadian Press, spilling the beans on the rest of the Liberal platform, which includes a series of tax credits and special programs aimed at families and the middle class.

The Globe and Mail

Canadian Press