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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities launched legislation Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as part of a gun control bundle that may additionally restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that appear to be weapons.

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 academics in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised reporters the new measures have been wanted as gun violence was growing.

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"We need solely look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly and quickly it will get worse and worse and will get more difficult to counter," he stated.

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

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than the US however whereas its gun murder fee is lower than one-fifth the U.S. charge it is greater than that of other rich nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 occasions Australia's price.

The speed in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since no less than 1997, in keeping with 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 homeowners 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 purchase back and compensate house owners of such weapons.

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

The deliberate legislation would stop anybody subject to a protection order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from obtaining or holding a firearms license.

It will also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can never hold more than five rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

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

"As a result of they appear the same as actual firearms, police must deal with them as if they're actual. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti instructed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed a few of the strikes, such because the "purple flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and said he would like extra information on enforcement and sources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He fully supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he mentioned were a "massive challenge."

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

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

He said authorities weren't using the instruments they already needed to deal with gun violence, reminiscent of calling individuals listed as references on gun license applications.

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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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