Most Quebecers Oppose Parti Quebecois’s Charter of Quebec Values

Plan to ban public servants from wearing religious symbols lacks majority support, study finds.

By Marc Posth, Staff Writer

A recent poll conducted for CTV news reveals that the majority of Quebecers oppose the firing of public servants who insist on wearing religious symbols at work. The poll, conducted online from September 18-20, finds that 62 per cent of Quebecers disagreed with the statement: “Public servants like teachers, health care workers and others should be fired from their jobs if they insist on wearing religious symbols and clothing at work.”

The Parti Quebecois’s recently proposed Charter of Quebec Values would require the province adopting a very unique legislature which would ban public servants from wearing any religious symbols such as hijabs, turbans, and large-sized crosses. If passed, it would be the first policy in all of North America to have such restrictions.

Provinces across Canada are similarly split in their responses to the proposed Charter. In British Columbia, 78 per cent of respondents indicated they were against the Charter, while in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, 72 per cent of respondents were against it. At 62 per cent Quebec, however, is the lowest.

A similar poll conducted for the National Post concluded that one third of Quebecers want to see the Parti Quebecois’ Charter of Quebec Values extended to the private sector. Although the poll indicated that 75 per cent of respondents agreed that immigration made the province “strong,’ nearly half of respondents indicated that new immigrants should transition into Quebec customs and style.

If the proposed Charter was intended to garner support for the Parti Quebecois, the poll conducted for the National Post finds that if an election were called today, the minority government would lose one seat to the Liberals, who currently hold 87 per cent of support.

The results of the National Post’s poll, which is accurate +/- 3% 19 times out of 20, were released on the same day that thousands of people marched through downtown Montreal to protest the proposed Charter.

Marc Posth is a writer based in Montreal with a background in science. His next logical step is creative writing.