A large majority of the 130,000 Canadians who responded last fall to a government questionnaire on new restrictions on handguns and “assault” weapons were opposed, newly released records show.
Consultations began last October with the minister holding roundtable discussions across the country and launching a public online questionnaire from Oct. 11 through Nov. 10. Dennis Young, an Alberta firearms researcher and blogger, recently obtained through an access-to-information request the results of that questionnaire.
But Drummond, who himself is a gun owner, said the results do not jibe with recent public opinion polls that show a majority of Canadians favour tighter restrictions. He suggested the most “vociferous” opponents mobilized to sway the outcome of the questionnaire.
“They have used a fairly aggressive social media campaign. … Everyone in their right mind suspects there is (National Rifle Association) support for their effort,” he said, referring to the large gun lobby in the United States.