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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government launched legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as a part of a gun control bundle that might additionally limit journal capacities and ban some toys that seem like guns.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved final 12 months amid a national election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two teachers of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised reporters the brand new measures were needed as gun violence was increasing.

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"We'd like only look south of the border to know that if we don't take motion firmly and rapidly it will get worse and worse and will get tougher to counter," he stated.

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

Authorities do not anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part as a result of they are so closely regulated already, an official stated in a briefing.

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

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since at the very least 1997, in accordance 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 capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms house owners say they are contesting in court docket. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial part" of a program to purchase back and compensate house owners of such weapons.

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

The deliberate laws would forestall anyone subject to a protection order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or maintaining a firearms license.

It'll also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered to allow them to never maintain more than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would additionally ban some toys that look like real guns, akin to airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

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

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed a few of the strikes, such because the "purple flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and mentioned he would love more information on enforcement and sources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He fully supported a crackdown on faux guns, which he stated were a "massive problem."

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

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

He said authorities weren't using the instruments they already had to sort out gun violence, such as 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, Modifying by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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