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

OTTAWA, May 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced laws Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as part of a gun control package deal that may also restrict magazine capacities and ban some toys that seem like guns.

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

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

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"We want only look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and gets more difficult to counter," he mentioned.

The handgun freeze would contain exceptions, including for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and safety 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, in part because they're so heavily regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the United States but whereas its gun homicide charge is less than one-fifth the U.S. price it is increased than that of other wealthy countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was five instances Australia's price.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since not less than 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 in the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms homeowners say they're contesting in court. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial section" of a program to buy back and compensate house owners of such weapons.

Whereas the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws could cross with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Party.

The planned legislation would forestall anybody subject to a protection order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from acquiring or holding a firearms license.

It will additionally require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can never hold more than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

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

"As a result of they appear the identical as real firearms, police need to 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 among the strikes, such because the "pink flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and mentioned he would like more data on enforcement and assets for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he mentioned were a "massive challenge."

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

Rod Giltaca, the head 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 tackle gun violence, resembling calling people listed as references on gun license functions.

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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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