Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. While the Charter as a whole remains popular, the occasional use by governments of its provision allowing them to override certain Charter rights (Section 33) continues to spark controversy. The Quebec government has used this “notwithstanding clause” to insulate laws on religion and language from judicial review; while the current Government of Ontario has relied on it several times since coming to power in 2018 (though, in one recent case involving back-to-work legislation, the government withdrew the use of Section 33 in the face of union and public opposition). In the context of these events, the 2023 Confederation of Tomorrow Survey revisited public views on the relationship between governments and the courts, and on how governments should best express their religious neutrality – the issue at the heart of Quebec’s Bill 21.
Survey Details
The surveys give voice to Canadians about the major issues shaping the future of the federation and their political communities. The 2023 study consists of a survey of 5,300 adults, conducted online in the provinces between January 26 and February 9; and by telephone in the territories between January 24 and February 26.
The Confederation of Tomorrow surveys give voice to Canadians about the major issues shaping the future of the federation and their political communities. They are conducted annually by an association of the country’s leading public policy and socio-economic research organizations: the Environics Institute for Survey Research, the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, the Canada West Foundation, the Centre D’Analyse Politique – Constitution et Fédéralisme, the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and the First Nations Financial Management Board.
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