A new opinion poll puts Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives ahead in the popular vote but it suggests Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals would win another minority and the NDP would lose ground if a provincial election were held today.

The Forum Research survey of 1,845 Ontarians was conducted Friday and Saturday after Wynne announced there would be a provincial election June 12.

Nearly one in four respondents (38 per cent) said they would vote for Tim Hudak’s Tories, followed by the Liberals at 33 per cent and the NDP at 22 per cent.

Six per cent said they would vote Green.

The Liberals have the most support in the GTA but they trail everywhere else in the province, Forum Research says.

The Tories lead in the eastern, southwestern and northern portions of Ontario.

Even though the Tories lead the popular vote across the province, the poll suggests they would finish second with 45 seats in the 107-seat legislature.

The Liberals would capture 49 seats and the NDP would finish third with 13, a sign that the party may have lost support after announcing that it would not vote in favour of the minority government’s budget, forcing Wynne to call an early election. The Tories also opposed the budget.

When the legislature was dissolved last week, the Liberals had 48 seats, the Progressive Conservatives had 37 and the NDP had 21. A seat that used to belong to the Liberals was vacant.

More than one half of respondents (56 per cent) said they agree with NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s decision not to support the Liberals’ budget.

The poll is accurate to within two per cent, 19 times out of 20. The results are based on an interactive voice response telephone survey, Forum Research said.

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