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

OTTAWA, May 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced legislation Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun control package that might also restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that look like guns.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved last yr amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two lecturers of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

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"We want solely look south of the border to know that if we do not take motion firmly and quickly it will get worse and worse and will get tougher to counter," he mentioned.

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

Authorities don't expect a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partly as a result of they're so closely regulated already, an official mentioned in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than the United States but whereas its gun homicide price is lower than one-fifth the U.S. rate it is larger than that of other wealthy nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 times Australia's fee.

The speed in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since no less than 1997, in line 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 taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms house owners say they're contesting in court. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary 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 help of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

The deliberate laws would forestall anyone topic to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or conserving a firearms license.

It's going to also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can by no means hold more than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new legal guidelines would additionally ban some toys that appear like real weapons, similar to airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. read more

"As a result of they give the impression of being the same as actual firearms, police have to deal with them as if they're actual. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed some of the moves, such as the "pink flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and said he would love more data on enforcement and resources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He completely supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he mentioned have been a "huge problem."

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

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

He stated authorities were not utilizing the tools they already needed to tackle gun violence, resembling calling folks listed as references on gun license functions.

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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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