Dunderdale, Tories slip again in latest tracking poll

Kathy Dunderdale and Newfoundland and Labrador's Progressive Conservatives continue to lose ground among voters, a new tracking poll suggests.

Halifax-based Corporate Research Associates found that 45 per cent of decided voters would back the governing Tories if an election were held now. That's down from 49 per cent three months ago, and from 60 per cent last November.

CRA, which releases a quarterly poll on voter intentions, found that the NDP placed second at 33 per cent, while the Liberalswhich formed the Official Opposition in last October's electionhave 22 per cent of support.

CRA found that 30 per cent of the 800 adults surveyed between Aug. 9 and Sept. 2 were either undecided, had no plans to vote or would not disclose their beliefs.

This summer,Environics Research released a pollthat found that the Tories were trailing the NDP in voter support, marking the first time the New Democrats led other parties in a reputable poll.

The poll also provided troubling results for Dunderdale, who led the PCs to a third consecutive electoral win last year and who succeeded Danny Williams as premier in late 2010.

Only 37 per cent ofrespondents identified her as their preference for premier, down from 44 per cent in May and from 59 per cent last fall.

NDP Leader Lorraine Michael was the choice of 31 per cent of those surveyed, up from 23 per cent in the spring, while Liberal Leader Dwight Ball was the choice of 16 per cent.

Asked to comment on the poll ata meeting of the national NDP caucus in St. John's Thursday, Michael said her hard work is paying off.

"I guess, you know, it's been successful [because of] my being out there, my being present and being available," she said.

CRA also found that satisfaction with the Tories remains fairly strong buthas dropped, with 58 per cent of voters either completely or mostly satisfied with the government's performance. That is down slightly from 60 per cent in May, and from 76 per cent in the summer of 2011.

The poll is considered accurate within 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.