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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities introduced laws Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as a part of a gun control bundle that might additionally limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that appear to be weapons.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that had been shelved last yr amid a nationwide election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two lecturers of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

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

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

Authorities do not anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partially because they're so heavily regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than america but whereas its gun homicide rate is lower than one-fifth the U.S. price it's higher than that of different rich nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five occasions Australia's fee.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since not less than 1997, in accordance 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 in the past within the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms owners say they are contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary part" of a program to buy back and compensate owners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws could go with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Social gathering.

The planned laws would stop anyone topic to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or conserving a firearms license.

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

The new legal guidelines would also ban some toys that appear like actual weapons, akin to airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. learn more

"Because they give the impression of being the same as real firearms, police have to deal with them as if they are real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti instructed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed a few of the moves, such as the "purple flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and mentioned he would love extra info on enforcement and assets for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He fully supported a crackdown on fake weapons, which he mentioned have been a "massive problem."

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

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

He stated authorities were not using the tools they already needed to sort out gun violence, reminiscent of 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, Enhancing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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