As a comparison , in Canada , Australia , New Zealand , Latin America , and Western Europe , the death penalty is a controversial issue . However certain cases of mass murder , terrorism , and child murder occasionally cause waves of support for restoration , such as the Robert Pickton case , the Greyhound bus beheading , Port Arthur massacre and Bali bombings , though none of these events or similar events actually caused the death penalty to be re-instated . Between 2000 and 2010 , support for the return of capital punishment in Canada dropped from 44 % to 40 % , and opposition to it returning rose from 43 % to 46 % . The Canadian government currently " has absolutely no plans to reinstate capital punishment . " Nonetheless , in a 2011 interview given to Canadian media , Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper affirmed his private support for capital punishment by saying , " I personally think there are times where capital punishment is appropriate . " According to some polls , as of 2012 , 63 % of surveyed Canadians believe the death penalty is sometimes appropriate , while 61 % said capital punishment is warranted for murder . In Australia , a 2009 poll found that 23 % of the public support the death penalty for murder , while a 2014 poll found that 52.5 % support the death penalty for fatal terrorist attacks
Bali bombings
2002 Bali bombings
Capital punishment debate in the United States