Quebec's religious symbols law has supporters beyond province's borders: poll

There may be more support for Quebec's controversial religious symbols law across the country than some Canadians would care to admit.

The legislation, which came into effect in June and bans teachers, police officers and other provincial employees from wearing religious symbols at work, is popular among Quebecers. And Angus Reid Institute pollster Shachi Kurl said some residents of other provinces would welcome similar legislation where they live.

"In every region of the country, no fewer than one-third of English Canadians say, 'Yes, we would support our own provincial government implementing such a law,'" Kurl told CBC Radio's The House.

Support was highest among people surveyed in Alberta and Ontario, she said.

There has been no suggestion legislators in either province are considering such a move.

Disappointed by federal party leaders

All four of Canada's main federal party leaders —  Liberal Justin Trudeau, Conservative Andrew Scheer, New Democrat Jagmeet Singh and the Green Party's Elizabeth May — have denounced the secularism law. But they have stopped short of committing to challenging it.

That troubles Gurpreet Singh Dhillon, a Brampton regional councillor.

"I'm disappointed in all the federal party leaders because I don't think they've taken enough stance on it," he told The House.

He said the law "normalizes" discrimination.

"Where I'm from in Brampton, people are worried that it might spread," he said. "Who knows where it could go to? And what I'm hearing is that the federal leaders are not taking a strong role on it and that's worrisome for a lot of people."

But the federal party leaders all find themselves in a difficult position, said Jason Lietaer, president of the communications firm Enterprise and a former Conservative Party campaign strategist.

They do not want to attack the law too harshly and risk losing the seats in Quebec they'd need to form the next government, he said.

"I can understand why all of them are punting it from a political point of view, but from a principle and philosophical view, it's hard to watch," Lietaer said.

Canadians 'not as tolerant as they like to think they are'

The Angus Reid poll suggests Canadians' opinions of a ban on religious symbols vary according to the particular symbol in question.

In Quebec and the rest of Canada, for example, most people surveyed said public employees should be allowed to wear a crucifix on the job. But support drops when Canadians are asked about symbols of the Islamic faith.

"What we're really talking about is a ban of Muslim religious symbols, particularly the niqab and the burka," Kurl said. 

This isn't the first time an opinion poll has suggested Canadians are conflicted on diversity and immigration.

A poll commissioned by CBC News earlier this year found 65 per cent of all Canadians said they agreed with the statement "we have gone too far in accommodating every group in society" — a view held most strongly in Alberta and Quebec.

"Canadians in general as not as tolerant as they like to think they are. We have some difficult conversations to have," said Kurl, adding the Angus Reid Institute will release the results of a comprehensive study that canvassed Canadians on their attitudes toward immigration on Monday.