Quebecers want Ottawa focused on illegal guns, not confiscation program
The majority of Quebecers want Ottawa to introduce tougher measures to crack down on illegal gun trafficking instead of confiscating newly prohibited firearms from legal gun owners, a new survey shows
The majority of Quebecers want Ottawa to introduce tougher measures to crack down on illegal gun trafficking instead of confiscating newly prohibited firearms from legal gun owners, a new survey shows.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released a survey by polling firm Leger, which asked Quebec residents for the most effective way to reduce gun crime and illegal gun smuggling in Canada.
More than half of respondents (51 per cent) said, “introducing tougher measures to stop the illegal smuggling of guns from the United States is the most effective way to reduce gun crime.”
“Law enforcement experts say the best way to make Canada safer is to stop illegal gun smuggling and Quebecers say exactly the same thing,” CTF’s Quebec director Nicolas Gagnon said Tuesday.
“It makes no sense to pour hundreds of millions into a confiscation that only takes guns from lawfully licensed gun owners.”
Gagnon’s comments refer to several police union heads who testified before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to express concerns about the Liberal gun confiscation program.
First billed as a “buyback program,” it banned more than 2,500 previously legal models overnight, along with a host of other accessories.
After numerous delays, it is now slated to conclude by the end of 2026 at an estimated cost of nearly $2 billion, far exceeding the initial cost of $200 million presented during the 2020 order-in-council under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
The program has been widely criticized for its inefficiency and lack of clear directives.
Meanwhile, 37 per cent of respondents in the CTF poll said, “banning the sale and ownership of specific types of firearms along with a government buyback program would be the best approach to reducing gun violence.”
Another six per cent said neither option would be effective, while seven per cent said they didn’t know.
Last month, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree dismissed concerns from a licensed gun owner who worried about being arrested if he refused to surrender firearms banned under the program.
In a leaked audio recording provided to True North, the minister suggested the confiscation program was “voluntary” and partially pushed to appease Quebec voters.
He also expressed doubt that local police services would have the resources to carry out the program.
“Quebecers have been clear: the real problem is illegal gun smuggling, not law-abiding firearms owners. The police have also made it clear the gun confiscation will waste money that could be used to stop criminals from committing gun crimes,” Gagnon said.
“Legault needs to stand up for Quebec taxpayers and refuse to help implement Ottawa’s costly and ineffective confiscation scheme. The federal government needs to drop this plan and focus its resources on intercepting illegal guns at the border: that’s how you actually make communities safer.”
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