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

OTTAWA, May 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government introduced legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as a part of a gun management package that will also limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that appear to be weapons.

The brand new laws, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved final year amid a national election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two academics of 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 solely look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and quickly it gets worse and worse and will get tougher 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 can be allowed to maintain them.

Authorities do not count on 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 laws than the US however whereas its gun murder fee is less than one-fifth the U.S. rate it's increased than that of different wealthy international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five occasions Australia's rate.

The speed in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since a minimum of 1997, in response to Statistics Canada.

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

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

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

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

The new laws would additionally ban some toys that look like real guns, resembling airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. read more

"Because they appear the identical as actual firearms, police must deal with them as if they are real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, welcomed a number of the moves, such as the "pink flag" provisions within the case of home violence, and stated he would really like extra info on enforcement and sources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

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

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

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

He stated authorities weren't using the tools they already needed to sort out gun violence, reminiscent of 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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.