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

OTTAWA, Could 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 would additionally restrict magazine capacities and ban some toys that appear to be weapons.

The brand new laws, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved final 12 months amid a national election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two lecturers of their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed reporters the brand new measures were wanted as gun violence was growing.

Register

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

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

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

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the USA however while its gun homicide price is less than one-fifth the U.S. fee it is higher than that of other rich international locations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five occasions Australia's fee.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country's highest since at the very least 1997, based on 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 in the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms house owners say they are contesting in courtroom. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the initial part" of a program to buy back and compensate homeowners of such weapons.

While the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws might go with the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Social gathering.

The deliberate laws would prevent anybody subject to a safety order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or maintaining a firearms license.

It can also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can never maintain greater than five rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new legal guidelines would additionally 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

"As a result of they look the same as actual firearms, police need to deal with them as if they are actual. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti instructed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed among the strikes, such because the "red flag" provisions within the case of domestic violence, and stated he would like extra data on enforcement and assets for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He fully supported a crackdown on faux guns, which he said were a "massive problem."

"You can't distinguish between what's a replica firearm and what's a real firearm, notably when these incidences involving replica firearms occur often in very dynamic, shortly evolving circumstances."

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

He mentioned authorities weren't utilizing the tools they already needed to deal with gun violence, comparable to calling individuals listed as references on gun license purposes.

Register

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.