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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced laws Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as part of a gun management bundle that would also restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that seem like guns.

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

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

Register

"We need only look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and gets 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 could be allowed to maintain them.

Authorities don't count on a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part because they are so closely regulated already, an official mentioned in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the United States however whereas its gun murder fee is less than one-fifth the U.S. charge it's higher than that of other rich international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five instances Australia's charge.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since at least 1997, based on 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 shooting 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 initial section" of a program to purchase again and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation may go with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

The planned legislation would prevent anybody subject to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or holding a firearms license.

It'll additionally require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can never hold more than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would also ban some toys that look like actual weapons, corresponding to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

"As a result of they give the impression of being the identical as real firearms, police must deal with them as if they're actual. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti informed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed some of the strikes, such as the "crimson flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and said he would really like extra data on enforcement and resources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on pretend weapons, which he mentioned had been a "massive challenge."

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

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

He said authorities were not utilizing the tools they already had to deal with gun violence, reminiscent of calling folks listed as references on gun license applications.

Register

Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto, Modifying by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.