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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities launched legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as a part of a gun management bundle that may additionally restrict magazine capacities and ban some toys that appear like weapons.

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

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

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

The handgun freeze would contain exceptions, together with for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and safety guards. Canadians who already own handguns would be allowed to maintain them.

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than the United States however whereas its gun homicide charge is lower than one-fifth the U.S. price it is higher than that of other rich international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 times Australia's rate.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since not less than 1997, according to Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago in the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms owners say they are contesting in court. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial part" of a program to buy back and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws may cross with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Celebration.

The deliberate laws would stop anybody topic to a protection order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from acquiring or retaining a firearms license.

It's going to also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered to allow them to never maintain more than five rounds and can ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new legal guidelines would additionally ban some toys that appear like real weapons, equivalent to airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. read extra

"Because they appear the same as real firearms, police have to treat them as if they are actual. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed among the strikes, such because the "purple flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and said he would love more information on enforcement and sources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on faux weapons, which he said were a "large challenge."

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

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

He said authorities were not utilizing the tools they already had to tackle gun violence, such as 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, Enhancing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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