Canadians favour screening immigrant values, poll shows


OTTAWA — Two-thirds of Canadians want prospective immigrants to be screened for “anti-Canadian” values, a new poll reveals, lending support to an idea that is stirring controversy in political circles.


Conservative MP Kellie Leitch, a candidate in her party’s leadership contest, has floated the idea of screening newcomers for their attitudes on intolerance toward other religions, cultures and sexual orientations and reluctance to embrace Canadian freedoms.


A new Forum Research Inc. poll for the Toronto Star shows that Leitch may be tapping into an idea that Canadians favour with 67 per cent saying immigrants should indeed be screened for “anti-Canadian values.”


More importantly for Leitch, the poll shows that the idea is especially popular among Conservative supporters with 87 per cent backing the idea and just eight per cent opposed compared to 57 per cent support among Liberals and 59 per cent for New Democrat voters.


That’s certain to be the reason that Leitch (Simcoe-Grey) …