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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities launched laws Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as part of a gun control bundle that might additionally restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that appear like guns.

The new laws, which resurrects some measures that were shelved final yr amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 kids and two academics in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

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"We need only look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly and rapidly it will get worse and worse and gets tougher to counter," he said.

The handgun freeze would include exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and security guards. Canadians who already own handguns can be allowed to keep them.

Authorities don't count on 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 United States but whereas its gun murder rate is less than one-fifth the U.S. rate it's larger than that of other wealthy nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five instances Australia's rate.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since a minimum of 1997, in keeping 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 transfer some firearms house owners say they're contesting in court. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary part" of a program to purchase again 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 Get together.

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

It will also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can never maintain 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 appear like real guns, reminiscent of airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

"As a result of they appear the same as actual firearms, police must treat them as if they're real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti informed reporters.

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

He fully supported a crackdown on faux guns, which he stated were a "big problem."

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

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

He mentioned authorities were not utilizing the tools they already needed to tackle gun violence, comparable to calling people listed as references on gun license purposes.

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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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