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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun management package deal that will also restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that look like guns.

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

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

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"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 tougher to counter," he said.

The handgun freeze would contain exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and security guards. Canadians who already personal handguns could 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 heavily regulated already, an official mentioned in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than the USA however while its gun homicide fee is less than one-fifth the U.S. rate it's greater than that of other wealthy countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 times Australia's fee.

The speed in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation'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 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 Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary part" of a program to buy back and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation could cross with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Occasion.

The deliberate legislation would prevent anybody subject to a protection order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or retaining a firearms license.

It would also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can by no means maintain greater than five rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

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

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

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed a few of the moves, such as the "purple flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and stated he would love more info on enforcement and resources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on faux weapons, which he stated had been a "large challenge."

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

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

He said authorities weren't using the instruments they already needed to sort out gun violence, equivalent to calling people 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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