PCs are sitting pretty, but the bubble may burst

And a mystery candidate debuts

🇨🇦 PROGRAMMING NOTE: I’m taking off for the Canada Day long weekend. We’ll be back in your inbox bright and early Tuesday. Enjoy some poutine and butter tarts, #onpoli

ABOVE THE FOLD

POLL WATCH — The Ford government’s approval rating on issues that matter most to Ontarians is in the dumps — but they’d still trounce their political rivals in a vote.

That’s the upshot from fresh polling from the Angus Reid Institute, which suggests Premier DOUG FORD is facing mounting criticism on key issues, including housing, cost of living and health care. But thanks to the division on the centre-left side of the spectrum, the PCs would still take 36 per cent of the vote in an election.

The competition (or not): The Official Oppo New Democrats and the leaderless, unrecognized Grits are virtually neck-and-neck, turning up 27 per cent and 25 per cent support respectively. The Greens are holding steady at six per cent, in a dead heat with “other” parties.

Salt in the wounds: The pollster’s “Government P…