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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the US however whereas its gun homicide fee is lower than one-fifth the U.S. price it is greater than that of different wealthy nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 times Australia's charge.

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, just like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago in the wake of a mass capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms owners say they're contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial section" of a program to buy back 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 Occasion.

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

It can also 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 transfer of large-capacity magazines.

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

"As a result of they appear the identical as real firearms, police have 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 Association, welcomed among the moves, such because the "purple flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and mentioned he would really like more info on enforcement and resources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He fully supported a crackdown on pretend guns, which he said were a "huge challenge."

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

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

He said authorities were not utilizing the tools they already needed to sort out gun violence, such as 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, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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