Doug Ford and his Conservatives are no longer the choice of most Ontarians when it comes to the latest public opinion poll.

According to a new Liaison Strategies survey, the Ontario Liberals – who are in the midst of a search for a new leader – have 38 per cent support, two points up on the governing Conservatives.

The poll finds the Liberals leading in Toronto with 44 per cent and in the 905, with 43 per cent support. The Conservatives also find themselves trailing the NDP in South Central Ontario, Hamilton and Niagara.

Ford continues to enjoy slim support in southwestern Ontario, while eastern Ontario continues to be a stronghold with 45 per cent support.

David Valentin, the principal at Liaison Strategies, says while a trend is always more important than a snapshot, the Conservatives have been bleeding support since October, and the private jet fiasco has clearly hurt them.

“A lot of people are struggling with grocery prices and hydro, and to see the Premier be so flippant about spending all this money didn’t sit the right way,” Valentin tells 680 NewsRadio.

Earlier this month, the Ford government revealed it had purchased a used Challenger 650 jet for almost $30 million to support the premier’s travel across the province, Canada, and the United States. Following backlash for what became known as ‘the gravy plane,’ Ford announced he was selling the jet, saying he heard “loud and clear” from the people of Ontario that this was not the right time to purchase a plane.

The poll finds 62 per cent of Ontarians believe Ford sold the plane because he was caught in a political controversy, with less than three in 10 believing he did it because he was sincere.

Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser admits Ford himself is doing his part to help the Liberals cause.

“The man of the people who buys a private jet when families are hurting,” he said.

“I hear about the jet walking my dog in the park, people spontaneously saying it to me.”

Valentin says, beyond the private jet controversy, Ford is struggling badly when it comes to approval. While a majority agree his leadership style is “strong and decisive,” more than six in 10 disapprove of the job he’s doing, while another two-thirds believe the province is on the wrong track.

“When you get past ballot numbers and into how people actually feel about Doug Ford, the picture gets worse, not better,” says Valentin.

“The question now is whether this trend has legs, or if the PCs can stop the bleeding. When voters turn on a politician, they don’t usually come back.”

The next Ontario general election is not scheduled until April 2030, unless the premier decides to call an early vote, which he did last February.