Canadian public divided on denying social services to temporary residents: Poll

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The poll published found that 46% of respondents favoured withholding access to provincially funded programmes from temporary workers, as against 51% opposing such a measure | World News

Toronto: Canadian public opinion appears to be divided on denying social services, including public healthcare to temporary residents and requiring proof of citizenship to voting in elections after those issues were raised during a referendum in the province of Alberta last month.

The poll published on Saturday found that 46% of respondents favoured withholding access to provincially funded programmes from temporary workers, as against 51% opposing such a measure.

These were among the findings of a survey conducted by the agency Nanos Research for the outlet Globe and Mail.

Refusing public services like healthcare or education to temporary residents, including workers and asylum seekers, was not contested in Canadian politics before they were out to a vote in the October 20 Alberta referendum. The principal question in that referendum was whether Alberta would remain a province of Canada or the provincial government would commence the legal process required under the Canadian constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not it should separate from the country. That proposition was rejected by nearly 75% of voters.

However, they also voted in favour of other questions, including denial of public services to temporary residents, giving provinces greater say in immigrant intake and requiring proof of citizenship for voting. Those outcomes appear to have influenced overall attitude towards immigration.

Given that this was never considered in Canadian politics earlier, the level of support for denying public services to that cohort is reflective of the anti-immigration sentiment that has emerged in Canada after the government under then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, surged intake particularly with regard to temporary residents, including workers and international students.

The poll also found 61% of those sampled expressing support for requiring voters to supply proof of citizenship in provincial elections.

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