With roughly a year to go before the next provincial election, Quebec residents are overwhelmingly supportive of their current government’s efforts to ban the receiving or administering of public services with a covered face, but most disapprove of its response to this summer’s surge in irregular border-crossings.
According to the Angus Reid Institute’s latest analysis of quarterly public opinion polling data, some one-in-five Quebecers say each of these issues will be “one of the most important” when making their decision on who to vote for in 2018.
Much less consensus in Quebec society around the provincial government’s handling of the border issue
On religious accommodation, fully six-in-ten Quebecers “strongly support” the proposed law that critics – particularly those elsewhere in Canada – say amounts to discrimination against Muslim women.
There is much less consensus in Quebec society around the provincial government’s handling of the border issue. Some 60 per cent disapprove of Premier Philippe Couillard’s response to the situation, a total slightly higher than the number who disapprove of the premier’s performance overall (54%).
Related: Premiers’ Performance: As Horgan enters office on a high, Wall is set to depart on top
More Key Findings:
Bill 62 enjoys majority support across all demographic groups, but it is less well-liked among respondents under age 35 and the province’s anglophone minority
Quebecers are more than four times as likely to “strongly disapprove” of their government’s response to the border-crossing issue as they are to “strongly approve” of it (37% versus 8%, respectively)
Asked to think about how these two issues will influence their voting intentions next year, one-in-five Quebecers say each will be a deciding factor when making their decision next year during the provincial election. Close to four-in-ten say each will be one of a few issues they take into account
The Angus Reid Institute is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research foundation established to enhance and encourage better understanding of issues and trends affecting economic, social, governance, philanthropy, public administration, domestic and foreign policy in Canada and its world.
