Canada introduces law 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 purchase of handguns as a part of a gun control bundle that will also limit journal capacities and ban some toys that appear like guns.

The new laws, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved final 12 months amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 kids and two teachers in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

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"We want solely look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and rapidly it gets worse and worse and gets harder to counter," he stated.

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

Authorities don't expect 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 america however whereas its gun homicide price is lower than one-fifth the U.S. rate it's larger than that of different wealthy nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 occasions Australia's fee.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since a minimum of 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 owners say they're contesting in court docket. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial 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 could move with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Occasion.

The planned laws would prevent anybody topic to a protection order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from acquiring or maintaining a firearms license.

It is going to also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to by no means maintain more than 5 rounds and can ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

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

"Because they appear the identical as real firearms, police need to deal with them as if they are real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed among the strikes, such because the "crimson flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and stated he would really like extra information on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He fully supported a crackdown on fake weapons, which he mentioned had been a "large challenge."

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

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

He stated authorities were not utilizing the instruments they already needed to tackle gun violence, similar to calling folks listed as references on gun license purposes.

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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.