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

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

The brand new legislation, which resurrects some measures that were shelved last yr amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two teachers of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

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"We'd like only look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and rapidly it gets worse and worse and will get tougher to counter," he said.

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

Authorities do not count on a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partly because they are so closely regulated already, an official mentioned in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than america however while its gun homicide rate is less than one-fifth the U.S. rate it's larger than that of other wealthy nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 occasions Australia's charge.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since not less than 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 ago within the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms homeowners say they are contesting in courtroom. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary section" of a program to purchase again and compensate house owners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws might pass with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Celebration.

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

It'll additionally require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to never maintain greater than five rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The new legal guidelines would additionally ban some toys that look like actual weapons, similar to airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn more

"As a result of they appear the same as actual firearms, police have to treat them as if they are actual. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti informed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed a number of the moves, such because the "pink flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and said he would really like more data on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He fully supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he said have been a "huge problem."

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

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

He said authorities were not utilizing the tools they already had to tackle gun violence, such as calling individuals 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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