NEWS RELEASE
November
7, 2003
For
Immediate Release
PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR GUN REGISTRY DROPS TO ALL TIME LOW OF 37.7%
“Fifty-five
per cent say scrap the registry and let the provinces run their own gun control
programs.”
Ottawa
–
Today, Garry Breitkreuz, Official Opposition Critic for Firearms and Property
Rights, released results of the third national public opinion survey that
clearly shows the government is not telling the truth when it claims Canadians
support it’s billion-dollar gun registry.
This newest JMCK poll shows support for the gun registry at an all
time low of 37.7%, and for the first time support for the registry was below 50%
in all provinces. Support for the gun registry was lowest in Alberta (15%),
Atlantic Canada (31%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (33%), British Columbia (38%),
Ontario (41%), and Quebec (46%).
“Three
national polls have now shown support for the gun registry continues to fall as
Canadians find out more about this firearms fiasco.
Last December, support was at 43%.
In July, it dropped to 39%, and last week it was at 37.7%,” reported
Breitkreuz. “Isn’t it odd
that in the government’s Performance Report for the Firearms Program tabled in
Parliament last Friday they are still claiming that the gun registry is supported
by the majority of Canadians. What
planet are they living on?” asked the Saskatchewan MP.
The
JMCK poll asked respondents a second question about scrapping the federal gun
registry and letting the provinces design and operate their own gun control
programs. A majority of 55.3% of
Canadians agreed with a provincial gun control policy as an alternative to the
federal gun registry. Support
for a provincial gun control alternative was strongest in Quebec (62%), Ontario
(56%), Atlantic Canada (52%), Saskatchewan/ Manitoba (52%), Alberta (50%) and
British Columbia (46%).
“The
results of the second poll question are very interesting.
It shows Canadians support the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces
over the regulation of private property including the licensing and registration
of firearms,” observed Breitkreuz. “This
is a major plank in the Canadian Alliance firearms policy (see below).
The federal government should focus all its efforts on punishing the
criminal use of firearms and leave the regulation of firearms ownership to the
provinces. If Quebec wants a gun
registry and Ontario doesn’t, so be it. If
the registry works then firearms crime should drop in Quebec and every province
will want one. The way it is now we
have eight provinces refusing to prosecute federal Firearms Act offences,
and that’s the kiss of death for the gun registry,” concluded Breitkreuz.
Dr.
Faron Ellis of JMCK Polling of Calgary directed this most recent poll.
They interviewed 1,018 adult Canadians between October 19th
and October 30th. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1% 19 times out of 20.
The complete results of the poll can be found below.
November
3, 2003 - JMCK Poll: Only 37.7% of Canadians say gun registry should be
continued
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/publications/JMCKPollingFirearmsPollOctober2003.pdf
August
4, 2003 - JMCK Poll: Only 39% of Canadians say gun registry should be continued
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/publications/JMCKPolling-FirearmsActPoll-August202003.pdf
December
13, 2002 - Ipsos-Reid Poll: Only 43% of Canadians say gun registry should be
continued
http://www.ipsos-reid.com/media/dsp_displaypr_cdn.cfm?id_to_view=1692
March 12, 2003 – CANADIAN ALLIANCE INTERIM POLICY
ON GUN CONTROL
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/publications/Article196.doc
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