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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government launched laws Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as a part of a gun management package deal that may also limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that look like guns.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved final year amid a nationwide election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 kids and two academics of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the new measures have been wanted 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 motion firmly and quickly it will get worse and worse and gets more difficult to counter," he said.

The handgun freeze would comprise exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and security guards. Canadians who already own handguns can be allowed to maintain them.

Authorities don't anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partially 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 homicide fee is less than one-fifth the U.S. charge it's increased than that of different rich international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 times Australia's price.

The speed in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since a minimum of 1997, according to 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 in the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms owners say they're contesting in court docket. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary phase" of a program to purchase again and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

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

The planned laws would prevent anybody subject to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or preserving a firearms license.

It is going to also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to never maintain greater than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new legal guidelines would also ban some toys that appear to be real weapons, equivalent to airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read more

"Because they look the identical as actual firearms, police need to treat them as if they are real. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed some of the strikes, such as the "red flag" provisions within the case of home violence, and said he would like more data on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

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

"You cannot distinguish between what's a replica firearm and what's a real firearm, particularly when these incidences involving reproduction firearms occur usually in very dynamic, rapidly evolving circumstances."

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

He mentioned authorities were not using the tools they already had to sort out gun violence, equivalent 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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