A new poll commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation reveals that most Canadians believe the federal government should focus on stopping illegal gun smuggling rather than continuing with its controversial firearms grab.The Leger survey shows 55% of Canadians think introducing tougher measures to prevent guns from being smuggled into the country — primarily from the United States — is the most effective way to reduce gun crime. By comparison, only 26% say banning various models of firearms and implementing a government-funded gun grab program is the better approach. Another 8% say neither strategy is effective, and 11% are unsure.“The poll shows that Canadians know the real problem is illegal gun smuggling, not firearms owned by licenced Canadian gun owners,” said Gage Haubrich, Prairie Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Planning to spend potentially billions of dollars on a program that Canadians don’t think is effective is a waste of money.”The federal government introduced its firearms ban and buyback plan in 2020. While it has begun collecting guns from businesses, it has yet to recover a single firearm from individual gun owners. Despite this, Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to “reinvigorate the implementation” of the program.Law enforcement officials have consistently raised concerns about the strategy. The National Police Federation, which represents RCMP officers, warned that the buyback program “diverts extremely important personnel, resources, and funding away from addressing the more immediate and growing threat of criminal use of illegal firearms.”“There is no evidence that gun bans are effective in reducing this violence, particularly when 85% of guns seized by our members can be traced back to the United States,” added the Toronto Police Association.The program’s financial burden has also grown. In 2019, the federal government estimated it would cost $200 million. However, a 2021 analysis from the Parliamentary Budget Officer suggested the actual cost of purchasing the guns alone could reach $756 million, not including administrative expenses. Since then, Ottawa has banned hundreds more firearm models and accessories, increasing the projected cost even further.“Ordinary Canadians and the experts both know this policy isn’t going to make anyone safer,” Haubrich said. “It’s time to listen to Canadians and scrap the gun ban and buyback.”
