WINNIPEG, MB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released new Leger polling showing that most Manitobans think stopping illegal gun smuggling is the most effective way to reduce gun crime.

“The poll shows that Manitobans know the real problem is illegal gun smuggling, not firearms owned by licenced gun owners,” said Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie Director. “Premier Wab Kinew needs to keep fighting for Manitoba taxpayers and licensed firearm owners by opposing Ottawa’s confiscation program.

“Ottawa needs to stop wasting money on its gun confiscation program and instead listen to law-enforcement experts telling the federal government to focus on illegal guns.”

The federal government is rolling out the gun confiscation nationally with a declaration period that started on Jan. 19.

The Leger poll asked Manitobans what they think is the most effective way to reduce gun crime. Results of the poll show:

• 50 per cent say introducing tougher measures to stop the illegal smuggling of guns into Canada from the United States is most effective.
• 30 per cent say banning the sale and ownership of many different makes and models of guns as well as using a government confiscation program is the most effective.
• 20 per cent don’t know.

Among Manitobans with an opinion, 62 want the federal government to focus on introducing tougher measures to stop illegal gun smuggling.

Kinew is the latest provincial politician to tell Ottawa it will not be participating in the gun confiscation program.

“If we’re looking at taking away weapons from criminals … I’m all for that, but this program doesn’t look like it’s going to achieve that end,” said Kinew. “Instead, it’s going to create other issues around administration and costs.”

The government has committed $742 million to carry out its gun ban and confiscation scheme, according to Budget 2025.

The government has handed out at least $2.8 million to the Winnipeg Police Service to carry out its part of the program.

The WPS is the only police service that currently has an agreement in place with the federal government to administer the program. Other cities, including Toronto and Charlottetown, have explicitly rejected participating in the gun confiscation.

Law-enforcement experts have been saying for years that Ottawa’s program won’t work.

The union representing RCMP members says Ottawa’s program “diverts extremely important personnel, resources, and funding away from addressing the more immediate and growing threat of criminal use of illegal firearms.”

“We know that the gun buyback program is going to have, essentially, zero impact on the crime in Toronto,” said Clayton Campbell, the president of the Toronto Police Association.

The governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan have passed laws to block the feds from confiscating guns in those provinces.

“Kinew needs to follow Alberta and Saskatchewan and pass legislation to block the gun confiscation,” Haubrich said. “All governments need to focus on the real problem of criminals and illegal guns not going after licensed firearm owners.”