After sweeping in Mayor Rob Ford, and re-electing only two Liberals in the federal election earlier this year, Scarborough is hinting at signs of swinging right politically.
Yet recent polls are suggesting something much different.
A poll conducted by Forum Research has revealed a virtual dead heat between the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives across Ontario. Scarborough, on the other hand, is a much different story.
President of Forum Research, Lorne Bozinoff says Scarborough may still be seeing red after Oct. 6.
“Scarborough is currently trending towards the Liberals,” he said.
“It’s unlikely that the Ford Nation will be able to deliver any Scarborough ridings to the PCs.”
Ford has publicly decided not to endorse any party in the upcoming election, as he says none of the candidates are willing to help Toronto’s budget problems, especially in child-care subsidies.
The poll had a sample size of 40,750 people, one of the largest in Canadian political history.
Bozinoff says the main issues Scarborough residents will vote on are the economy and health care.
“Previously the wind turbines off the Scarborough bluffs may have been an issue but that seems to have been dealt with by the provincial government,” he said.
The previous provincial election in 2007 had a voter turnout of 52.1 per cent. This year, a low turnout favours the incumbent, in most cases.
In 2007, Scarborough-Rouge River had one of the lowest turnout rates in the province at 41.8 per cent. Meanwhile, Pickering-Scarborough East voted in higher than average numbers at 54 per cent.
If Bozinoff and other pollsters are correct in their predictions, the conservative sweep that has taken hold of the Greater Toronto Area over the past year will halt on Oct. 6 for the time being.