Most Canadians support death penalty for murderers, poll shows
CTV
A new poll conducted by Research Co. has found that the majority of Canadians support reinstating the death penalty for murder.
A new poll conducted by Research Co. has found that the majority of Canadians support reinstating the death penalty for murder.
According to the survey, 54 per cent of Canadians support relying on capital punishment on murder conviction, up three points since a similar survey conducted by the group in February 2022.
Research Co.’s data shows that Albertans are more likely in favor of the death penalty with the highest percentage of 62 per cent.
Support for capital punishment in Saskatchewan and Manitoba are also high at 60 per cent while 58 per cent of Ontario and B.C. residents feel the same way. Over half (55 per cent) of Atlantic Canada and 43 per cent of Quebec residents said they welcome the return of the death penalty.
“Almost three-in-five Canadians aged 55 and over (59 per cent, up four points) would welcome the return of the death penalty,” Research Co. President Mario Canseco said in a news release. “The numbers are slightly lower among those aged 35-to-54 (54 per cent, up three points) and those aged 18-to-34 (50 per cent, up three points).”
Conservative Party voters are most likely to welcome the punishment with 71 per cent support (up eight points) while the support is lower (49 per cent, down three points) among those who voted for the NDP in 2021 and the Liberal Party (48 per cent, down one point).
When it comes to the type of punishment, 53 per cent (up one point) said they prefer murderers should be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole while 37 per cent would prefer the death penalty.
