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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced legislation Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as part of a gun control package that might also limit 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 only a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two lecturers 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'd like only look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and gets harder to counter," he stated.

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

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than america but while its gun homicide fee is lower than one-fifth the U.S. fee it is increased than that of different rich countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was five times Australia's price.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation'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 in the wake of a mass capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms owners say they're contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial phase" of a program to buy again and compensate owners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation might cross with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Social gathering.

The deliberate laws would forestall anyone topic to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from obtaining or conserving a firearms license.

It'll additionally require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to by no means hold greater than five rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would additionally ban some toys that seem like real guns, equivalent to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

"Because they look the identical as real firearms, police have to deal with them as if they are real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

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

He completely supported a crackdown on fake weapons, which he mentioned had been a "large problem."

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

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

He stated authorities weren't using the tools they already had to tackle gun violence, corresponding to calling individuals 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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