While a majority of Canadians say they donB次元官网网址檛 care about a politician being a visible minority when voting for the countryB次元官网网址檚 leader, a new Angus Reid poll suggests about three-in-ten voters also say being a practising Sikh might hurt new NDP leader Jagmeet SinghB次元官网网址檚 chances in an election.
The study looked to gauge how Canadians feel when it comes to voting for the new federal NDP leader based on his religion and visible characteristics as a Sikh man.
Singh won the federal New Democratic Party leadership in September, becoming the first visible minority to lead a major Canadian political party. He won without holding a seat in the House.
On voting for a visibly looking Sikh man
Of about 1,400 people surveyed, seven-in-ten Canadians out of B.C., Alberta and Ontario responded to the poll saying they themselves would consider voting for a national party leader who wears a turban and carries a kirpan.
Respondants out of Quebec showed the greatest hesitancy in voting for a Sikh man, with about half saying they wouldnB次元官网网址檛 vote for such a person, regardless of their policies.
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Broken down by age, almost 40 per cent of those aged 55 and older said they couldnB次元官网网址檛 support such a leadership, as well as 40 per cent of Conservative Party supporters.
The survey also touched on perceptions Canadians as a whole feel towards a Sikh prime minister.
Asked to think about how their close friends and family members would vote, half said either B次元官网网址渕ostB次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址渟omeB次元官网网址� of the people in their lives wouldnB次元官网网址檛 favour a visible minority leader. When asked about B次元官网网址渟ociety as a whole,B次元官网网址� respondents said they suspect 80 per cent would not show their support in the voting booth.
On if religion will get in the way for voters
Visible aspects aside, when asked if SinghB次元官网网址檚 religion will hurt the NDPB次元官网网址檚 electoral chances, 54 per cent of respondents said it would.
The pushback was found to be strongest in Quebec, where debates over public officials wearing religious symbols and accommodating religious minorities are part of both recent history and an ongoing political process.
Two-thirds of that province agree with the statement about SinghB次元官网网址檚 religion hurting his partyB次元官网网址檚 electoral standing. Atlantic Canada is the only other region where more than 50 per cent agree.
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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