The swirling controversy over how Premier Doug Ford's government removed protected land from Ontario's Greenbelt to build housing is weakening voter support for the premier and his Progressive Conservative party, according to a pair of new opinion polls released this week.

Both polls — one conducted by the Angus Reid Institute and the other by Abacus Data — show recent drops in approval for Ford and the Progressive Conservatives. Pollsters for both firms believe the Greenbelt saga is a key factor.

"The Greenbelt has been the issue that has dominated headlines over the last several weeks," said Shachi Kurl, president of the non-profit Angus Reid Institute.

"It's hard to decouple that from these findings."