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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government launched legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun management bundle that may additionally limit journal capacities and ban some toys that look like weapons.

The new laws, which resurrects some measures that had been shelved last yr amid a nationwide election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two lecturers in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

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

The handgun freeze would comprise exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and safety guards. Canadians who already own handguns can be allowed to maintain them.

Authorities don't count on a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part because they are so heavily regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than the United States but while its gun homicide charge is lower than one-fifth the U.S. price it's increased than that of different rich nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 instances Australia's price.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since at least 1997, in accordance with Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago within the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms house owners say they are contesting in courtroom. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary phase" of a program to buy again and compensate owners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws may move with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Occasion.

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

It would also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can never maintain more than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new legal guidelines would also ban some toys that appear to be real weapons, akin to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read extra

"As a result of they look the same as real firearms, police need to treat them as if they're real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti informed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed a number of the moves, such as the "crimson flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and mentioned he would really like extra information on enforcement and assets for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he said had been a "big problem."

"You cannot distinguish between what's a reproduction firearm and what's a real firearm, particularly when these incidences involving reproduction firearms happen often 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 were not utilizing the tools they already needed to deal with gun violence, resembling 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, Modifying by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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