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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities introduced laws Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as part of a gun management bundle that would additionally restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that appear to be guns.

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

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed reporters the brand new measures had been needed as gun violence was rising.

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"We'd like only look south of the border to know that if we don't take motion firmly and rapidly it gets worse and worse and gets more difficult to counter," he said.

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 maintain them.

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

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the United States however while its gun homicide charge is less than one-fifth the U.S. charge it is higher than that of different rich international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five occasions Australia's fee.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since not less than 1997, in keeping with Statistics Canada.

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

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation might go with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

The deliberate laws would prevent anyone subject to a protection order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or preserving a firearms license.

It can also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can never maintain greater than 5 rounds and can ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would also ban some toys that look like actual guns, such as airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

"Because they look the same as actual firearms, police need to treat them as if they're real. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed some of the strikes, such because the "crimson flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and mentioned he would really like more information on enforcement and sources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

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

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

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

He mentioned authorities were not using the tools they already needed to sort out gun violence, comparable to calling folks 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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