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With the Quebec election just days away, three parties are now in a virtual dead heat, according to a new survey released Friday.

The ruling Liberals, the Parti Quebecois and the surging Action democratique du Quebec (ADQ) are in a three-way tie, according to a survey conducted by The Strategic Counsel for Â鶹´«Ã½ and The Globe and Mail.

Of those polled, 30 per cent said they would support the Liberals. That figure is unchanged from a poll taken last week.

The Parti Quebecois dropped a point during the week to 31 per cent while the only party to gain ground was the ADQ, up two points to 28 per cent.

A PQ government is possible once all the ballots are cast on Monday, according to Policy Options editor-in-chief L. Ian MacDonald.

"It's possible there could be a minority PQ government even if the PQ finishes third (in the popular vote). Then you'd have a real crisis of legitimacy," MacDonald told Â鶹´«Ã½net's Mike Duffy Live on Friday.

"I don't think that's likely but it's among the mathematical possibilities. It's a race that's too close to call right now, Macdonald said.

It's hard to predict what the outcome will be, Strategic Counsel Chairman Allan Gregg agreed.

"That's because the ADQ's level of support is so much higher historically which just means it's very hard to know how the percentage of popular votes is going to translate into seats precisely," Gregg told CTV.ca.

"You can predict with some certainty that there is going to be a minority government and probably quite a weak one," he said.

What also appears to be clear is that the ADQ is going to improve its standing, especially in Montreal, outside of the West Island and in the Quebec City region.

The ADQ's success seems to be in their efforts to sell themselves as an alternative to the status quo to the demographic of middle-aged and middle-class voters, who are largely francophone.

Another point working in Dumont's favour, Gregg said, is that the population is fatigued with the sovereignty debate.

They are also "disillusioned with the government of Charest and completely unimpressed by the leader of the PQ, Andre Boisclair," he added.

"Dumont and the ADQ benefit first and foremost from not being 'the other guy'," Gregg said.

The ADQ leader has also been able to present his party as the middle path, MacDonald said.

"That's a middle view between four decades of polarization that we've had between federalists represented by Liberals and the sovereigntists or separatists represented by the PQ. And he's created a comfort level for himself as a guy who voted Yes in 1995 but is against further referendums," MacDonald told Mike Duffy Live.

When asked which party is gaining the most momentum, 63 per cent of those polled named the ADQ, up 15 percentage points from last week.

Meanwhile 15 per cent of respondents named the Liberals, down six percentage points from the week before; and 13 per cent named the PQ, down two percentage points.

When asked which party has the best candidates, 40 per cent of survey respondents said the Liberals did while 30 per cent chose the Parti Quebecois and 10 per cent named the ADQ.

On the topic of leadership, 32 per cent felt Quebecers trusted Dumont most at the helm of the province while 30 per cent felt the same way for Liberal Leader Jean Charest, and 24 reported the same feelings for PQ Leader Andre Boisclair.

While analysts have said Monday's election results could go either way, survey respondents seemed more confident about the outcome, with 57 per cent saying Quebecers think the Liberals will form the next provincial government, down from 71 per cent last week.

Meanwhile, 20 per cent named the Parti Quebecois and 14 per cent the ADQ.

With speculation swirling about the possibility of an early federal election, 36 per cent of respondents said they would vote for the Bloc Quebecois, while 29 per cent would vote for the Conservatives, 21 for the Liberals, and 9 per cent for the NDP.

Technical notes:

• Results are based on tracking among a proportionate national sample of Canadians 18 years of age or older.
• Interviews were conducted between March 21 and 22, 2007.
• The provincial sample size is 1,000. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
• The Montreal Island sample is 233. The margin of error is plus or minus 6.4 percentage points.
• The rest of Montreal sample is 240. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
• The sample size for Quebec without Montreal is 527. The margin error is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.