By Canadian Press

New poll suggests one-third don’t want politicians to wear religious symbols

May 25, 2019 | 8:05 AM

OTTAWA — New polling data suggests that one-third of Canadians believe elected officials at all levels of government should be banned from wearing religious symbols.

A majority of Quebecers canvassed in the survey agreed that a federal, provincial or local politician shouldn’t be allowed to wear hijabs, crucifixes and turbans on the job.

The Leger Marketing poll was done to gauge public sentiment in light of a proposed secularism law in Quebec that would ban public servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols.

Overall, 49 per cent of respondents in the online poll of 2,215 Canadians said they would not favour such a ban, but 37 per cent said they would support it.

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Polling industry experts say online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not generate a random sample of the population.

Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, which commissioned the poll, says the strongest supporters for a ban are those more likely to feel threatened by religious minorities.

The Canadian Press