Majority of Canadians would prefer a mandatory (not voluntary) buy-back of assault rifles

A new study by Leger Marketing has examined the issue of gun control in Canada and the United States. The survey found that two-thirds of Canadians (66%) feel that gun control measures don’t go far enough. The survey also addressed the issue of the mandatory versus voluntary buy-back program in Canada designed to make certain kinds of automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles unavailable for the public.

The following context was provided to poll respondents ahead of the questions related to gun control:

“Some countries have used a ‘buy-back’ program to pay gun owners to turn in prohibited firearms. Many types of automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles have been removed from the public through this type of program. The Canadian government has recently announced plans for such a program that would be voluntary for gun owners to participate in. Some people have said the program should be mandatory and if gun owners do not willingly turn in their prohibited weapons for ‘buy-back,’ they should be fined.”

According to the results, 52% of people in Canada would prefer that the government implement a mandatory buy-back program for automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles, with the threat of fines for gun owners who don’t participate. Just 35% of Canadians believe a voluntary buy-back program for the prohibited weapons is acceptable. Quebec was the province with the highest percentage of respondents who would prefer a mandatory buy-back program; Alberta was the province with the highest number of respondents in favour of a voluntary one.

For the full list of results and methodology, please visit the Leger Marketing website.

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