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

OTTAWA, Might 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 limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that seem like weapons.

The new laws, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved last year amid a national election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two academics in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed reporters the brand new measures were needed as gun violence was increasing.

Register

"We need 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 tougher to counter," he stated.

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

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than the USA however while its gun murder price is lower than one-fifth the U.S. charge it's increased than that of other wealthy countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 occasions Australia's rate.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since at the very least 1997, based on Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, like the AR-15 rifle, two years in the past within the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms house owners say they are contesting in courtroom. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial phase" of a program to purchase again and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws might move with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

The planned legislation would stop anyone subject to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or retaining a firearms license.

It'll additionally require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered to allow them to never hold greater than five rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The new legal guidelines would also ban some toys that appear to be real guns, such as airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read extra

"As a result of they give the impression of being the identical as real firearms, police must deal with them as if they are actual. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti instructed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed among the moves, such as the "red flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and mentioned he would like extra info on enforcement and resources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on pretend guns, which he stated had been a "huge problem."

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

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

He mentioned authorities were not utilizing the tools they already needed to deal with gun violence, akin to calling folks listed as references on gun license functions.

Register

Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto, Enhancing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.