Wow.

That was the reaction of many in the newsroom upon hearing the latest numbers from CTV’s Ipsos Reid poll as well as the poll done by OraclePoll Research for a third party organization. They show growing support for the Ontario PC’s as well as the NDP. The Liberals, it seems are being squeezed out of the middle.

The OraclePoll results, which were done for the Canadian Solar Industry Association, show the PC's at 42%, the Liberal's at 31% and the NDP at 25%. The numbers differ slightly from the poll completed by Ipsos Reid, but both signal clearly that the Liberal message isn't resonating with voters.

The Liberals for decades have governed from the centre. As Rick Bartolucci said last night at the Sudbury Nomination meeting “we take the best from the right and from the left and we govern from the centre – that’s what makes us Liberals.” However, the shift to the left, as was the case for the federal Liberals, hasn’t paid off.

One can’t help but notice the similarities in the initial demise of the federal party with the current situation the provincial Liberals are in. Scandals brought both governments down to minority status and now, after a shift to the left, support from “blue grits” eroded and centre-left voters who traditionally vote Liberal are now parking their vote with the NDP. It’s a dangerous position to be in – the party is under attack from all sides and the ground beneath appears to be crumbling quite quickly.

That being said – before I continue with the “doom and gloom” scenario – Justin Trudeau has successfully reinvigorated the federal party, but that renewed support hasn’t been tested in a general election.

Back to the provincial Liberals … the desire for change appears to be growing. According to the Ipsos Reid poll, 72% (up 4% from April) believe it’s “time for another party to take over”. It’s one thing to get someone to vote for you, but perception is a pretty powerful thing.  Liberals say they’re hopeful – but these numbers paint a very very bleak picture. I know from my conversations with party faithful, they’re banking on Tim Hudak blowing the lead, like he did in 2011. But the PC campaign for the most part seems message-focused and significantly more organized than the Liberals.

If that trend keeps up over the next 33 days, the Liberals are in deep trouble.