Canada introduces regulation 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 control bundle that will also restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that seem like weapons.

The new laws, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved last 12 months amid a national election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 kids and two academics in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the brand new measures had been wanted 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 action firmly and quickly it will get worse and worse and gets harder to counter," he stated.

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

Authorities don't count on a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part as a result of they're so heavily regulated already, an official mentioned in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than america but while its gun murder charge is lower than one-fifth the U.S. price it is larger than that of other rich international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 instances Australia's rate.

The speed in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since at the least 1997, in keeping 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 within the wake of a mass capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms house owners say they are contesting in court. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial phase" of a program to buy back and compensate house owners of such weapons.

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

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

It will also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to never hold more than 5 rounds and can ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new laws would also ban some toys that look like real weapons, such as airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read more

"Because they appear the same as actual firearms, police must deal with them as if they're actual. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti advised reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed a few of the strikes, such because the "red flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and said he would love more information on enforcement and assets for measures such because the handgun freeze.

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

"You cannot distinguish between what's a reproduction firearm and what's a real firearm, significantly when these incidences involving replica firearms happen often in very dynamic, shortly evolving circumstances."

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

He mentioned authorities weren't utilizing the tools they already needed to sort out gun violence, such as calling people listed as references on gun license functions.

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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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