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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced legislation Monday to implement a "nationwide freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as part of a gun management bundle that might also restrict magazine capacities and ban some toys that seem like weapons.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved final 12 months amid a nationwide election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two teachers in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

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

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"We'd like only look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and rapidly it gets worse and worse and will get more difficult to counter," he said.

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

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

Canada has stronger gun laws than the US however whereas its gun murder charge is less than one-fifth the U.S. fee it's higher than that of other wealthy countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was five occasions Australia's rate.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since at least 1997, according to Statistics Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 fashions of assault weapons, 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 house owners say they're contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary part" of a program to purchase again and compensate owners of such weapons.

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

The planned laws would prevent anybody topic to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or keeping a firearms license.

It's going to also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to never maintain greater than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new laws would also ban some toys that appear to be real weapons, reminiscent of airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. learn more

"Because they appear the identical as real firearms, police must treat them as if they are actual. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti told 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 said he would really like extra data on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He fully supported a crackdown on pretend weapons, which he stated have been a "huge problem."

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

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

He mentioned authorities were not utilizing the instruments they already needed to sort out gun violence, corresponding to calling folks 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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