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

OTTAWA, May 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government launched laws Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as a part of a gun control package that may also restrict magazine capacities and ban some toys that seem like guns.

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

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

Register

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

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

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than the USA however whereas its gun murder fee is less than one-fifth the U.S. price it's larger than that of different wealthy international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 instances Australia's fee.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since at the least 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 move some firearms owners say they're contesting in courtroom. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary phase" of a program to purchase again and compensate house owners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation may go with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Get together.

The planned laws would stop anybody topic to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or maintaining a firearms license.

It can additionally require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to never hold greater than five rounds and can ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new legal guidelines would also ban some toys that appear to be actual weapons, resembling airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

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

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed a number of the moves, such because the "red flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and said he would like extra data on enforcement and sources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on faux guns, which he said had been a "large challenge."

"You can't distinguish between what's a replica firearm and what's an actual firearm, significantly when these incidences involving reproduction firearms happen usually in very dynamic, rapidly evolving circumstances."

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

He stated authorities weren't utilizing the tools they already needed to deal with gun violence, such as calling folks listed as references on gun license purposes.

Register

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

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.