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

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

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

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the brand new measures had been needed 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 action firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and gets harder to counter," he stated.

The handgun freeze would contain exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and security guards. Canadians who already personal handguns would be allowed to maintain them.

Authorities do not anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part because they're so heavily regulated already, an official mentioned in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than the US but whereas its gun murder charge is less than one-fifth the U.S. rate it is higher than that of other wealthy international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 occasions Australia's charge.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since not less than 1997, in keeping with Statistics Canada.

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

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation may go with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Social gathering.

The deliberate legislation would prevent anybody topic to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or maintaining a firearms license.

It is going to also 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, comparable to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. read extra

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

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed among the moves, such as the "pink flag" provisions within the case of home violence, and said he would love extra info on enforcement and sources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on faux weapons, which he stated were a "large problem."

"You can't distinguish between what's a reproduction firearm and what's a real firearm, significantly when these incidences involving reproduction firearms occur often 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 using the instruments they already had to sort out gun violence, comparable to calling individuals listed as references on gun license purposes.

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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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