Poll suggests support for Bill 21 provision may have dropped in Quebec; 55% in favour
A new poll suggests support may have slipped for a key element of Quebec's secularism law, known as Bill 21.
A web panel survey carried out by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies earlier this month found 55 per cent of Quebecers are in favour of banning religious symbols being worn by public school teachers.
That appears to be a drop from the results of a previous Leger survey published in September that found 64 per cent of Quebecers were in favour of Bill 21, which applies to civil servants in positions of authority including judges, teachers, and police officers.
Jack Jedwab, the president of the Association for Canadian Studies, says the seeming shift in public opinion could be tied to recent debate on the issue, including the case of an elementary school teacher in western Quebec who was removed from her teaching position in December because her hijab contravenes the law.
The incident prompted calls for the federal government to intervene in court challenges against the law and spurred the mayors of several large cities to pledge their support to the legal battle to overturn it.
The survey was conducted by web panel between January 7 and 9, involving 1,547 Canadians 18 years of age or older.
The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.
Debate over Bill 21 was ignited in December after Grade 3 teacher Fatemeh Anvari was reassigned from teaching duties at her Chelsea, Que., school because she wore a hijab.
In an interview, Jedwab said he believed the incident demonstrated the real impacts of a law that had previously felt mostly symbolic.
"When we saw someone wearing a hijab being removed from the classroom, I think my sense is that that's contributed to this drop in support," he said.
Premier Francois Legault has repeatedly cited strong public support for Bill 21 as a warning to any leaders outside Quebec who challenge it. Jedwab said the survey results suggest that consensus could be eroding, although he said it was too soon to know if the dip in support was a temporary response to Anvari losing her teaching job.
The poll suggested that support for Bill 21 is divided along linguistic and generational lines.
While 59 per cent of French speakers in the survey said they either "strongly" or "somewhat" support banning visible religious symbols worn by teachers, only 26 per cent of English speakers felt the same.
Amongst Quebecers, 73.9 per cent of people aged 65 to 74 said they supported the ban -- the highest of any age group -- while only 27.8 of 18-to-24-year-olds said they did.
Across Canada, the average was 33 per cent in favour of the ban, 55 per cent against and 12 per cent undecided.
Across Canada, including in Quebec, a majority of survey respondents said they felt it was important for the Supreme Court of Canada to issue an opinion on whether Bill 21 discriminates against religious groups.
Opinion was more divided on whether the federal government should intervene in any eventual Supreme Court challenge of the law.
A total of 39 per cent of respondents were in favour of federal intervention compared to 29 per cent against. That support was strongest in Ontario but lower in several other provinces including Quebec, where 42 per cent felt the government should not intervene and 37 per cent said it should.
Support was even more mixed when it came to the involvement of big city mayors outside Quebec. The greatest number of respondents, by a 34 per cent to 29 per cent margin, felt the mayors should not support opponents of the bill. That sentiment was strongest in Quebec, while respondents in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta voted narrowly in favour of mayoral action.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.