Bad news for the Opposition

Plus: Booze blues

Presented by Liaison Strategies

ABOVE THE FOLD

POLL WATCH — The PCs are still the party to beat.

That’s the upshot from a fresh Liaison poll that has DOUG FORD’s crew at 44 per cent support among decided and leaning voters provincewide, keeping the governing Tories well ahead of the Liberals at 35 per cent, the Official Opposition NDP languishing at 15 per cent, and the Greens trailing at 3 per cent.

Not quite the all-time high Abacus had them at earlier this week, but still enough to keep the ruling party smiling — and their political rivals sulking.

Behind the numbers: Ford’s “Captain Canada” shtick appears to be working. With PM MARK CARNEY trying to look statesmanlike while staring down DONALD TRUMP, Ford can afford to play elbows-up — a little less diplomatic, a little more bad cop — without much risk to himself. That dynamic helps him look like the guy sticking up for Ontario’s interests, while the Grits and New Dems struggle to criticize his popular approach to U.S. tariffs.

And …