what the results suggest is that canadians are broadly libertarian about immigration: we don't really care. it doesn't drive our voting decisions. it doesn't keep us up at night.

so, i think the reading that there's potential for a backlash is wrong. but, it's equally true that the idea that trudeau can run on a pro-immigration platform and win is delusional: at best it won't hurt him, because the frank truth is that nobody cares.

i've been posting a lot about immigration the last few days, but i can promise you that it won't affect my voting decisions. i'm not going to vote conservative on a refugee ban, if they want to slash corporate taxes. and, i'm not going to vote against the liberals because they want to bring in refugees, if there's other reasons i support them (which right now is looking highly doubtful...).

but, take note: the reason that nobody cares is that the pearsonian system has been successful. the real fear is in the ramifications of tinkering the system so that it creates the kinds of problems that we have not, to this point, had to deal with.

again: the answer is that the liberals need to embrace the legacy of their own party.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/canadians-not-so-exceptional-when-it-comes-to-immigration-and-refugee-views-new-study-finds