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

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

The brand 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 academics of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed reporters the new measures have been wanted as gun violence was growing.

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

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

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than the US however whereas its gun homicide rate is less than one-fifth the U.S. charge it is increased than that of other rich international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 instances Australia's price.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since at least 1997, according to Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 fashions of assault weapons, just like the AR-15 rifle, two years in the past within the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms homeowners say they are contesting in court. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial phase" of a program to purchase back and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation may move with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

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

It'll also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered to allow them to by no means hold more than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new legal guidelines would additionally ban some toys that appear like real guns, resembling airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

"As a result of they give the impression of being the same as real firearms, police need to deal with them as if they are 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 as the "purple flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and stated he would really like extra information on enforcement and assets for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on faux weapons, which he stated had been a "massive challenge."

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

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

He stated authorities were not utilizing the tools they already had to tackle gun violence, akin to calling people listed as references on gun license applications.

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

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