Canada introduces legislation to freeze handgun gross sales, ban look-alike toys

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government launched laws Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun control package that might additionally restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that appear like guns.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved final 12 months amid a nationwide election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two academics of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised reporters the brand new measures had been wanted as gun violence was growing.

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"We want solely look south of the border to know that if we do not take motion firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and gets tougher to counter," he said.

The handgun freeze would include exceptions, together with for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and security guards. Canadians who already own handguns could be allowed to keep them.

Authorities do not count on a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partially as a result of they are so heavily regulated already, an official stated in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than the US however whereas its gun homicide price is lower than one-fifth the U.S. fee it is larger than that of other wealthy nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five times Australia's charge.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since at the least 1997, in response to Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, just like the AR-15 rifle, two years in the past in the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms homeowners say they are contesting in court docket. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial section" of a program to buy back and compensate owners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws may cross with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Social gathering.

The deliberate legislation would prevent anyone subject to a protection order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or protecting a firearms license.

It's going to additionally require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can by no means maintain greater than five rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new laws would additionally ban some toys that appear to be actual guns, such as airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read more

"Because they look the same as real firearms, police need to deal with them as if they're real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti instructed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed some of the strikes, such because the "crimson flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and stated he would really like more info on enforcement and assets for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on pretend guns, which he stated had been a "large challenge."

"You can not distinguish between what's a reproduction firearm and what's an actual firearm, particularly when these incidences involving reproduction firearms happen typically in very dynamic, quickly evolving circumstances."

Rod Giltaca, the top of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, stated the handgun freeze was "absurd."

He said authorities weren't using the tools they already had to tackle gun violence, akin to calling folks listed as references on gun license applications.

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Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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