Philippe J. Fournier: A new Léger poll shows Canadians favour a bilingual leader—and without one the Conservatives could face a crushing defeat
Respondents were asked: “Should the next Conservative leader be bilingual, meaning capable of speaking both English and French, or is it not necessary?” A clear majority of respondents, 62 per cent, believe the next CPC leader should be bilingual. Only 35 per cent answered that bilingualism was not necessary. A regional breakdown of the results shows that support for bilingualism leads or is at least statistically tied in every region of the country
Moreover, support for bilingualism for the next CPC leader is highest in Quebec, Ontario and Atlantic Canada—therefore in provinces where Conservatives need to grow their support the most if they hope to win the next election.