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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced laws Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as a part of a gun control package deal that might additionally restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that appear like guns.

The brand new laws, which resurrects some measures that had been shelved last yr amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 kids and two academics of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

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"We need only look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and gets harder to counter," he mentioned.

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

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

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the USA but while its gun homicide fee is less than one-fifth the U.S. price it is higher than that of other wealthy international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five times Australia's rate.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since at the very least 1997, in response to 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 capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms homeowners say they're contesting in court docket. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial phase" of a program to buy back and compensate house owners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation may pass with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Occasion.

The planned laws would forestall anyone topic to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from acquiring or holding a firearms license.

It should additionally require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can never maintain greater than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would also ban some toys that appear to be actual guns, corresponding to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn more

"As a result of they look the same as real firearms, police have to deal with them as if they're real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti advised reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed a number of the strikes, such because the "purple flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and mentioned he would like extra information on enforcement and assets for measures such because the handgun freeze.

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

"You cannot distinguish between what's a duplicate firearm and what's a real 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, said the handgun freeze was "absurd."

He stated authorities were not utilizing the instruments they already had to deal with gun violence, similar to calling people 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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