Insight

There are few certainties heading into an election campaign; the outcome is up for grabs. The one thing many do feel certain of is that it is Canada's turn to be buffeted by the winds of populism.

As recently as a few decades ago, most Canadians didn’t look kindly on sexual diversity. In 1987, just one in ten approved of “homosexuals.” While fewer than one in five thought a job applicant’s race (18%) or religion (14%) mattered, 44 percent believed homosexuality should be taken into account. 

The issue of climate change, and how best to address it, is one that activates a number of society’s underlying fault lines, be they ideological, regional or even generational. In a federation such as Canada’s, however, there is an additional dynamic at play, namely views on the practice of federalism itself.

There have been many expressions of goodwill toward reconciliation since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action in 2015.

A wave of authoritarian populism has been evident in Europe, Britain and the United States over the past few decades. Many Canadians are wondering how these energies might manifest in their own country’s upcoming federal election.

The political differences across the country – on issues ranging from energy and the environment to immigration and the best way to create jobs – sometimes leave the impression that the country is hopelessly fractured.

A poll released this week by the Environics Institute for Survey Research found that nearly half of Canadians said immigration makes the country a better place. A third said it makes no difference. Fewer than one in six said immigration makes Canada worse off.

People who think the non-religious Jewish Diaspora is dissipating can cite numerous tendencies to support their belief.

It’s rare for pollsters to be able to use the word “unprecedented” to describe survey results unless they’re releasing their first poll – or giving in to the temptation to use hyperbole to get attention. But a recent Environics Institute survey has indeed revealed some unprecedented results.

On the surface, the contrast between Canada and the United States on immigration is sharp. U.S. President Donald Trump was recently warning of an “invasion” by a group of migrants crossing Mexico on foot, even going so far as to send troops to the border in a theatrical flourish just ahead of the mid-term elections.