More On Gun Registry Poll

Yesterday, I wrote a brief post on a new Leger & Leger poll, conducted for the Coalition for Gun Control , showing widespread support for maintaining the gun registry. This survey seems contra results from earlier polls on the topic, and several readers expressed skepticism, especially over the Alberta subtotals, which had support in that province being much higher than one would expect. I got in touch the CGC's Wendy Cukier, and she responded by email as follows:

Here is another poll showing more albertans support the registry than oppose it....

The opposition is very vocal and often intimidates supporters, particularly in smaller communities so the public discourse is not generally reflective of public opinion. The gender split is significant (as we noted, if you add up the gun owners who support the registry with the people who live with gun owners and support the registry, they pretty much cancel out the gun owners who oppose the registry and the people living with gun owners who oppose the registry).
The polls also show that the debate is not between people who would allow guns to be owned with fewer restrictions and those who support the registry. Rather recent polls have shown that most Canadians would support much more stringent controls, half would ban firearms outright.

The results of polls also depend on how you ask the questions and the sequencing...We made an effort to outline the arguments in the questions.

Do let me know if you want anything else. If you surf the net you will find the results of specific polls diverge dramatically but generally speaking there are two gun control supporters for every opponent, however you define the issue.

Wendy

So there you have it.