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

OTTAWA, May 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities introduced legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun control bundle that may also limit journal capacities and ban some toys that seem like weapons.

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 academics in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the new measures were needed 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 will get harder to counter," he said.

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

Authorities don't anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partly as a result of they're so closely regulated already, an official stated in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than america however whereas its gun murder fee is less than one-fifth the U.S. price it's larger than that of different wealthy countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was five occasions Australia's rate.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since not less than 1997, in accordance with 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 in the wake of a mass capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms homeowners say they're contesting in courtroom. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary phase" of a program to buy again and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws could move with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Social gathering.

The planned laws would forestall anybody topic to a protection order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or protecting a firearms license.

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

The new laws would also ban some toys that appear to be real weapons, resembling airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

"As a result of they look the same as actual 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 Association, welcomed a number of the strikes, such because the "crimson flag" provisions within the case of home violence, and mentioned he would really like more info on enforcement and assets for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he said had been a "large problem."

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

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

He stated authorities weren't utilizing the instruments they already needed to sort out gun violence, reminiscent of 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

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