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

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

The new laws, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved final year amid a nationwide election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 kids and two lecturers in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

Register

"We need solely look south of the border to know that if we do not take motion firmly and rapidly it will get worse and worse and gets harder to counter," he said.

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

Authorities don't expect a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partially as a result of they are so heavily regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than the United States but while its gun homicide fee is lower than one-fifth the U.S. rate it is higher than that of different rich nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five instances Australia's charge.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since at the very least 1997, in line with Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 models of assault weapons, just like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago within the wake of a mass capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms homeowners say they're contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial phase" of a program to purchase again and compensate house owners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the legislation might go with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Social gathering.

The deliberate legislation would stop anybody topic to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from obtaining or protecting a firearms license.

It can additionally require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can by no means maintain greater than five rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would also ban some toys that look like actual weapons, comparable to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read extra

"As a result of they look the identical as actual firearms, police need to treat them as if they are actual. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti instructed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed some of the strikes, such as the "red flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and stated he would like extra information on enforcement and sources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

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

"You can't distinguish between what's a duplicate firearm and what's a real firearm, notably when these incidences involving replica firearms happen often in very dynamic, quickly evolving circumstances."

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

He said authorities weren't using the tools they already had to deal with gun violence, resembling calling individuals listed as references on gun license applications.

Register

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

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.