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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government launched legislation Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as part of a gun management package that may additionally limit journal capacities and ban some toys that appear to be guns.

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

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised reporters the brand new measures had been needed as gun violence was rising.

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"We'd like 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 mentioned.

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

Authorities do not count on a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partially because they're so closely regulated already, an official stated in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than america but while its gun homicide charge is lower than one-fifth the U.S. charge it is larger than that of different wealthy nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five times Australia's charge.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since not less than 1997, based on 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 within the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms house owners say they are contesting in court docket. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial part" of a program to buy back and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws could pass with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Social gathering.

The planned legislation would stop anyone subject to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or retaining a firearms license.

It should additionally require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered to allow them to by no means hold more than five rounds and can ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The new legal guidelines would also ban some toys that seem like real guns, corresponding to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

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

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

He fully supported a crackdown on fake weapons, which he said have been a "large problem."

"You can't distinguish between what's a replica firearm and what's a real firearm, notably when these incidences involving duplicate firearms occur usually in very dynamic, quickly evolving circumstances."

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

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

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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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