Health care is the issue of greatest concern to Ontario voters in the upcoming provincial election, suggests a new poll, which also found that jobs and the economy are high on the priority list.

The Nanos Research poll -- conducted between August 10 and August 13 for CTV, The Globe and Mail and CP24 -- found that health care is the most important provincial issue of concern to 28.9 per cent of respondents, followed by jobs and the economy at 21 per cent.

While health care is still the most important issue by a wide margin, it is down from May, when 34.1 per cent of Ontarians deemed it the most important campaign issue. Meanwhile, the number of people who consider jobs and the economy to be most important has surged from 14.7 per cent in May.

Of the other issues identified as most important in the poll (May poll results in brackets):

  • 10.5 per cent of respondents said high taxes (9.6)
  • 8.3 per cent said education (10.9)
  • 4.5 per cent chose the environment (3.8)
  • 4.3 per cent chose tackling the debt and deficit (2.3)
  • 1.1 per cent said gas prices (8.7)

When asked which of the provincial party leaders they most trust to manage specific issues, respondents did not heavily favour either Premier Dalton McGuinty or Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak.

On the health care file, 33 per cent of respondents said McGuinty could most be trusted, compared to 26.5 per cent of respondents who chose Hudak. McGuinty is also considered more trustworthy on education by 33.4 per cent of respondents, compared to Hudak at 26.4 per cent. On the environment, McGuinty also bests Hudak with 26.4 per cent support compared to 21.3 per cent.

The two leaders are close on both the economy and taxes. According to the poll, 32.8 per cent said McGuinty is most trustworthy to handle the file, while 30.1 per cent said Hudak is best to steer the economy. Meanwhile, 30.3 per cent of respondents said McGuinty could most be trusted to handle taxes, while 29.2 per cent said Hudak would be most trustworthy on the file.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is well back in all categories. Her strongest showing is on the environment file, with more than 14 per cent of voters saying she is most trustworthy to handle the issue.

Nik Nanos, President of Nanos Research, said the results suggest Liberal attack ads aimed at Hudak have had some effect, preventing the Progressive Conservative leader from proving to voters he is trustworthy.

The attack ads from both parties may also be to blame for the fact that one in four voters said that they are undecided about which leader, or don't feel any leader, is trustworthy on any given issue.

"It speaks to the malaise that the negative ads create," Nanos said. "The negative ads don't necessarily affirm anything. They basically tear down each other."

Results released Monday evening showed that the race between the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives has tightened since May. The poll found the Liberals are at 37.6 per cent support, putting them within five points of the Progressive Conservatives, who have 42.1 per cent support.

The August poll was a random telephone survey of 1,000 Ontarians aged 18 and older. It is considered accurate within +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.