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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities introduced legislation Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as a part of a gun control bundle that may additionally restrict magazine capacities and ban some toys that seem like guns.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that were shelved final year amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed reporters the new measures had been needed as gun violence was increasing.

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

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

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than america but whereas its gun murder charge is lower than one-fifth the U.S. rate it is greater than that of different wealthy nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five instances Australia's charge.

The speed in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since a minimum of 1997, in accordance 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 in the past within the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms homeowners say they're contesting in courtroom. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial part" of a program to buy again and compensate owners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws might cross with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Get together.

The planned legislation would stop anyone topic to a protection order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or maintaining a firearms license.

It'll additionally require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to by no means hold greater than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

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

"Because they give the impression of being the identical as actual firearms, police need to deal with them as if they're real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti instructed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed a few of the strikes, such as the "purple flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and said he would love more information on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on faux guns, which he stated have been a "big problem."

"You can not distinguish between what's a replica firearm and what's a real firearm, significantly when these incidences involving reproduction firearms happen typically in very dynamic, shortly evolving circumstances."

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

He said authorities were not utilizing the instruments they already needed to tackle gun violence, equivalent to 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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.