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

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

The brand new legislation, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved last year amid a nationwide election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 kids 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 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 quickly it will get worse and worse and will get more difficult to counter," he mentioned.

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

Authorities do not expect 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 laws than the USA however whereas its gun homicide price is less than one-fifth the U.S. charge it is higher than that of different rich nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 instances Australia's price.

The speed in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since no less than 1997, in line with Statistics Canada.

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

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws could cross with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

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

It should additionally require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can by no means maintain more than 5 rounds and can ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

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

"Because they appear the identical as actual firearms, police have 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 Affiliation, welcomed some of the strikes, such because the "pink flag" provisions within the case of home violence, and mentioned he would really like extra info on enforcement and resources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on fake weapons, which he mentioned were a "huge challenge."

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

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

He stated authorities were not using the instruments they already needed to sort out gun violence, similar to calling folks listed as references on gun license applications.

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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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