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“Canadians are asking the question, ‘Is this the best way to be fighting Islamophobia?’” said Shachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute.

And, if it were up to the citizenry, M-103 would likely fail.

A plurality, 42 per cent, said they would vote against the motion, compared to 29 per cent who would vote for it and 29 per cent who don’t know or would choose to abstain. Even accounting for the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent 19 times out of 20, the results point to a country that’s more opposed to the motion than in its favour.

That’s a stark contrast to the make-up of the House of Commons, where both the Liberal and NDP caucuses are expected to support the motion Thursday. Their respective caucuses, 180 and 44 MPs, comprise two thirds — or 66 per cent of parliament — compared to the 90 Conservative MPs, many of whom oppose the motion and make up just under a third, or about 27 per cent of parliament.

Despite the Liberals’ stringent support for the motion introduced by Ontario MP Iqra Khalid, their supporters aren’t as convinced it’s necessary: just 38 per cent of Liberal voters from the 2015 election support M-103, while 33 per cent oppose it and 28 per cent would abstain. The NDP support is stronger but not by much: 44 per cent of those who support the New Democrats would vote for it, while 33 per cent oppose and 23 per cent have no opinion. Opposition is strongest among Conservatives, 68 per cent of whom would vote against it, compared to 14 per cent who support and 18 per cent who would abstain.