Support for Bill 96 decreases with education, income; increases with age

A study on Bill 96 in Quebec has found that support for the bill is currently 56%, down six points from when last measured in July 2021. Additionally, according to the Angus Reid Institute, support for Bill 96 decreases the more educated and wealthy one is, and increases with age.

Bill 96, or “An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec,” as it’s known legislatively, was introduced by the CAQ on May 13, 2021 in order to strengthen the French language in the province.

Bill 96 currently has 65% support among Quebecers with a high school diploma, and 54% among CEGEP and trade school graduates. A minority of Quebecers with university degrees, 45%, support Bill 96.

With regards to age, Bill 96 has 43% support among Quebecers 18-34, 52% among those aged 35-54 and 63% among 55+.

Finally, relating specifically to income, Bill 96 is supported by 62% of Quebecers with a household income below $50K, 54% with incomes between $50K and $100K, and 47% with incomes above $100K. (For the complete table of results, please see page 6 in the report here.)

“Bill 96 gained royal assent earlier this month. The bill reforms the province’s French language charter in a way that restricts the use of English in public settings in an effort to protect the use of French in Quebec. Premier François Legault and the CAQ government said the use of the notwithstanding clause in Bill 96’s case is necessary because it protects a law that is supported by the majority of the province.”

Unsurprisingly, anglophones (6%) in Quebec are far less likely to be supportive of Bill 96 than francophones (71%).

The study also found that 64% of Montrealers oppose to Bill 96.

Support for Bill 96 down 6 points in Quebec, still 56%

A previous poll by the Angus Reid Institute found that 71% of Quebec anglophones believe Bill 96 will hurt their financial well-being.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from June 7-13, 2022 among a representative randomized sample of 1,211 Quebec adults who who are members of Angus Reid Forum.

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