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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities launched laws Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun control package deal that would also limit journal capacities and ban some toys that appear like weapons.

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

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised reporters the new measures had been wanted as gun violence was growing.

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"We want solely 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 more difficult to counter," he stated.

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

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than america but whereas its gun murder charge is less than one-fifth the U.S. charge it is increased than that of other rich nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 times Australia's price.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since a minimum of 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 taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms owners say they are contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial section" of a program to purchase 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 Social gathering.

The deliberate laws would prevent anyone subject to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or protecting a firearms license.

It would additionally require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered to allow them to by no means maintain greater than 5 rounds and can ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new laws would additionally ban some toys that seem like real guns, resembling airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. read extra

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

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed among the strikes, such as the "pink flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and stated he would like extra info on enforcement and sources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he stated were a "huge challenge."

"You cannot distinguish between what's a reproduction firearm and what's an actual firearm, particularly when these incidences involving duplicate firearms occur typically in very dynamic, quickly evolving circumstances."

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

He stated authorities weren't utilizing the instruments they already had to deal with gun violence, equivalent to 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, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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