Canada introduces legislation 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 purchase of handguns as part of a gun management bundle that would also limit journal capacities and ban some toys that seem like weapons.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that were shelved final 12 months amid a national election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two lecturers in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised reporters the new measures were wanted as gun violence was increasing.

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"We'd like solely look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and will get harder to counter," he mentioned.

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

Authorities do not anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partially as a result of they are so closely regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun laws than america however whereas its gun homicide fee is lower than one-fifth the U.S. price it is greater than that of different wealthy international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five instances Australia's rate.

The rate in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since no less than 1997, according to 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 in the wake of a mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms owners say they're contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial part" 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 could move with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Get together.

The deliberate legislation would forestall anyone subject to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from acquiring or maintaining a firearms license.

It will additionally 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 legal guidelines would additionally ban some toys that appear to be actual guns, resembling airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

"As a result of they appear the same as actual firearms, police must treat 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 some of the moves, such because the "purple flag" provisions in the case of domestic violence, and stated he would really like more data on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

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

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

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

He mentioned authorities were not using the tools they already had to deal with gun violence, comparable to 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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