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

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

The brand new laws, which resurrects some measures that were shelved final year amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two lecturers of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed reporters the new measures were needed as gun violence was rising.

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

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

Authorities don't expect a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partly as a result of they are so heavily regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the United States however whereas its gun homicide price is less than one-fifth the U.S. price it's increased than that of different wealthy countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was five instances Australia's charge.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since not less than 1997, based on Statistics Canada.

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

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws could pass 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 will also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can never hold more than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would also ban some toys that seem like real weapons, similar to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. learn more

"Because they look the identical as actual firearms, police have 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 Affiliation, welcomed some of the moves, such because the "crimson flag" provisions within the case of home violence, and stated he would love extra information on enforcement and sources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

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

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

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

He said authorities were not utilizing the instruments they already had to tackle gun violence, equivalent to calling people listed as references on gun license functions.

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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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