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

OTTAWA, Could 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities launched legislation Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun control package that may additionally limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that look like weapons.

The new legislation, which resurrects some measures that have been shelved last yr amid a nationwide election, comes just a week after a gunman killed 19 kids and two academics in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed reporters the brand new measures had been wanted as gun violence was growing.

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"We need solely look south of the border to know that if we don't take action firmly and rapidly it gets worse and worse and gets harder to counter," he said.

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

Authorities do not anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, partly as a result of they're so heavily regulated already, an official said in a briefing.

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

The rate in each 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 models of assault weapons, just like the AR-15 rifle, two years in the past within the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms house owners say they're contesting in court. Speaking alongside Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary part" of a program to buy back and compensate owners of such weapons.

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

The planned legislation would prevent anybody subject to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from obtaining or maintaining a firearms license.

It should additionally require long-gun magazines to be completely altered to allow them to never hold more than 5 rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new laws would also ban some toys that seem like real weapons, corresponding to airsoft rifles. Final week Toronto police shot and killed a person carrying a pellet gun. learn extra

"Because they give the impression of being the identical as real firearms, police need to deal with them as if they're actual. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti informed reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed among the moves, such as the "red flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and said he would like more info on enforcement and resources for measures such as the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on faux weapons, which he mentioned had been a "large problem."

"You cannot distinguish between what's a reproduction firearm and what's an actual firearm, particularly when these incidences involving replica firearms happen typically in very dynamic, rapidly evolving circumstances."

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

He mentioned authorities were not using the tools they already needed to deal with gun violence, reminiscent of calling people listed as references on gun license applications.

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Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto, Enhancing by Rosalba O'Brien and Richard Pullin

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