A recent survey by Leger reveals that 57% of Canadians oppose Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring policies, and instead think companies should stop discriminating against prospective employees on account of their sexuality or skin tone.
Despite legislative commitments by the Canadian government to promote DEI, the poll indicates a potential shift in public sentiment since the George Floyd-inspired riots and protests swept across North American and led to politicians calling for more investment into DEI training and hiring quotas.
The survey, conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies, gathered responses from 1,539 individuals across Canada between November 22 and 24, 2024.
Only 28% of respondents said “Yes” to the question “When companies hire people, it is important for employers to take their cultural background (e.g., racial status / visible minority) into account.”
57% said “No” and 15% said “I don’t know.”
Public backlash against DEI initiatives have increased of late, with prominent voices calling for an end to the practice. Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk called DEI “another word for racism.”
Last month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to a Toronto med school’s decision to reserve 70 of their 94 seats in a medical program for “equity deserving groups” by demanding they select individuals “regardless of their race.”
Ironically, DEI policies are implemented through what is referred to in far-left circles as an “anti-racism lens.”
Earlier this year, a massive report was given to the Trudeau Liberals by an “equity task force” that seeks to make legislative changes to hiring practices that would effectively ban merit-based hiring for good and turn Canada into a neo-Marxist hellhole.
The authors of the report insisted that the recommendations do not entail quotas for hiring, meaning employers won’t have to ensure they have a certain number of ethnic and sexual minorities.
However, among the report’s countless recommendations, one reads that employers should be allowed to “correct” underrepresented groups among their staff.
