Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says the Liberals will try to trigger the defeat of Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government at the earliest possible date this fall. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

The federal Liberals appear to be losing some ground in popularity, a new poll suggests, with the Tories taking a slight overall lead.

The EKOS poll, commissioned for the CBC and released Thursday, shows the Tories with 34.2 per cent support, followed by the Liberals with 30.8 per cent, a bigger gap between the two parties than any seen all summer.

The New Democratic Party follows with 14.8 per cent support, while the Green Party has 10.1 per cent and the Bloc Québécois with 10 per cent.

Respondents were asked which party they would vote for if a federal election were held tomorrow.

The poll was taken as Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said the Liberals will try to trigger the defeat of Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government at the earliest possible date this fall.

Liberals also appear to be losing some ground in both Ontario and Quebec.

In Ontario, the gap between the Tories and Liberals continues to narrow, with both parties virtually tied.

The Bloc remains on top in Quebec with nearly 40 per cent support followed by the Liberals (28 per cent). The Tories are in third with around 15 per cent.

The poll also found that more than 70 per cent of Canadians believe a federal election should be held some time later than this fall.

The survey of 2,825 people was conducted by telephone between Sept. 2 and Sept. 8, 2009, and has an error margin of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. EKOS used voice-recognition software, allowing respondents to answer by punching the phone's keypad. A mix of landline and cellphone households was addressed.

(EKOS)