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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities introduced laws Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as part of a gun control package that may additionally limit journal capacities and ban some toys that look like guns.

The brand new laws, which resurrects some measures that had been shelved final 12 months amid a nationwide election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 kids and two lecturers of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the new measures were wanted as gun violence was increasing.

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"We'd like only look south of the border to know that if we do not take motion firmly and rapidly it will get worse and worse and will get more difficult to counter," he stated.

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

Authorities do not count on a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part as a result of they're so closely regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the USA but whereas its gun homicide charge is lower than one-fifth the U.S. charge it is increased than that of different rich international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five occasions Australia's charge.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since not less than 1997, in accordance with Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, just like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago in the wake of a mass capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms owners say they're contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial phase" of a program to buy again and compensate owners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws could move with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Get together.

The planned legislation would prevent anyone topic to a protection order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or maintaining a firearms license.

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

The new laws would also ban some toys that appear like real weapons, similar to airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read extra

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

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed a few of the moves, such because the "pink flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and stated he would love more data on enforcement and assets for measures such as the handgun freeze.

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

"You can't distinguish between what's a duplicate firearm and what's a real firearm, significantly when these incidences involving reproduction firearms happen usually in very dynamic, rapidly evolving circumstances."

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

He stated authorities weren't utilizing the instruments they already had to sort out gun violence, akin to calling folks listed as references on gun license functions.

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

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