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

OTTAWA, May 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities introduced legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as part of a gun control package deal that will also limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that appear like weapons.

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

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the brand new measures had been wanted as gun violence was increasing.

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"We want solely look south of the border to know that if we don't take motion firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and will get harder to counter," he said.

The handgun freeze would include exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and safety guards. Canadians who already personal handguns could be allowed to maintain them.

Authorities do not anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partly because they are so closely regulated already, an official stated in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than the United States however while its gun murder charge is less than one-fifth the U.S. price it is increased than that of different wealthy international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 instances Australia's charge.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since not less than 1997, in line with Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, just like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago within the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms house owners say they're contesting in courtroom. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary section" of a program to buy again and compensate house owners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation could cross with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

The planned legislation would prevent anybody subject to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or keeping a firearms license.

It will additionally require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can by no means maintain greater than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

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

"As a result of they appear the identical as real firearms, police need to deal with them as if they are real. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

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

He utterly supported a crackdown on faux guns, which he said have been a "large challenge."

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

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

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

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