The majority of Canadians believe the feds should prioritize cracking down on illegal gun smuggling from the U.S., rather than targeting legal gun owners through bans and a costly buyback program.
A new poll commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayer Federation and conducted by Leger found that 55% of Canadians believe tougher measures against illegal guns crossing the border are the most effective way the Liberal government could reduce gun violence.
The poll found that 26 per cent said that banning the sale and ownership of various makes and models of guns, coupled with a government buy-back program was the most effective.
Gage Haubrich, the prairie director for the CTF, told True North that it’s “clear” why Canadians feel that guns at the border are more of a threat than licensed firearm owners.
“Gun owners jump through tons of hoops to be able to legally allow to use their firearms. They aren’t out there committing crimes with them, and it’s clear the Canadians know this as well,” Haubrich said. “Gun bans haven’t made Canadians safer, and instead, the government needs to focus on stopping this illegal gun smuggling, not targeting law-abiding gun owners.”
According to Statistics Canada, the rate of firearm-related violent crime was 22 per cent higher in 2023, when compared to 2018 and 55 per cent higher when compared to 2013. However, there was a 1.7 per cent decrease in firearm-related crime from 2022 to 2023.
In cities such as Toronto, the rise in gun-related violence is more pronounced. In July 2024, the Toronto Police Services reported a 68.7 per cent increase in shootings since the same time the previous year. TPS Deputy Chief Robert Johnson said that 85 to 90 per cent of handguns and assault rifles seized from crimes originate from south of the border, mainly Ohio, Texas, Florida and Michigan.
The government’s independent Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated in 2021 that the buyback could put taxpayers on the hook for up to $756 million, not including administrative costs.
“If we focus on the border and try to stop the tide of illegal firearms that are pouring over the border, and that actually works, then those are results the taxpayers can respect and see that as money well spent,” Haubrich said. “But right now, all the money that’s being spent on this file by the government is a complete waste, because we see that gun crime is going up.”
The online panel survey asked 1,537 Canadians 18 years and older to identify which of the two policies they believe was the most effective way the government could reduce crime in Canada. Comparatively, a probability sample of the same size has a margin of error of no greater than 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.