A change in leadership saw a slight drop in support for the governing Liberals in the province, a new poll shows. But the party under new Premier Andrew Furey continues to outpace the opposition parties by a wide margin.

The poll by Narrative Research, formerly Corporate Research Associates, indicates almost 70 per cent of people asked are satisfied with the performance of the government this quarter, down from a record high of 78 per cent in May. Among decided voters, support for the Liberals remains steady at 61 per cent, with the PCs at 21 per cent and the NDP at 15 per cent.

Meanwhile, Furey is the most preferred leader at 46 per cent, the Tories’ Ches Crosbie is at 17 per cent and NDP Leader Alison Coffin is third with 12 per cent support.

The poll, based on a sample of 401 adult residents of the province, was carried out Aug. 4-18 and is considered accurate within 4.9 per cent, 95 times out of 100.