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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced legislation Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun management package deal that might also restrict magazine capacities and ban some toys that appear to be weapons.

The brand new legislation, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved last 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 advised reporters the brand new measures were needed as gun violence was growing.

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"We want solely look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and quickly it will get worse and worse and will get more difficult to counter," he stated.

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

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

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

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since a minimum of 1997, in line with Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, just like the AR-15 rifle, two years in the past within the wake of a mass capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms owners say they are contesting in courtroom. Speaking 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.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation might cross with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

The planned legislation would prevent anyone topic to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from obtaining or holding a firearms license.

It can also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can never maintain greater than five rounds and can ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would additionally ban some toys that appear to be actual weapons, corresponding to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn more

"Because they look the same as real firearms, police need to deal with them as if they're actual. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti instructed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed a number of the strikes, such because the "pink flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and mentioned he would love extra info on enforcement and resources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

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

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

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

He said authorities were not using the tools they already had to deal with gun violence, comparable to 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, Modifying by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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