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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's government launched laws Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and purchase of handguns as a part of a gun control package deal that might additionally restrict journal capacities and ban some toys that appear to be weapons.

The brand new laws, which resurrects some measures that were shelved last year amid a nationwide election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 youngsters and two teachers in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed reporters the new measures have been needed as gun violence was increasing.

Register

"We need solely look south of the border to know that if we do not take action firmly and quickly it will get worse and worse and gets more difficult to counter," he stated.

The handgun freeze would contain 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 expect a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part because they're so heavily regulated already, an official stated in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the United States but whereas its gun murder rate is lower than one-fifth the U.S. charge it's larger than that of different rich countries and has been rising. In 2020 it was 5 occasions Australia's price.

The rate in every of 2020 and 2017 was the nation'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, like the AR-15 rifle, two years ago in the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a move some firearms owners say they are 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 legislation could cross with the assist of the left-leaning New Democratic Occasion.

The planned laws would prevent anyone subject to a safety order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from acquiring or maintaining a firearms license.

It will also require long-gun magazines to be permanently altered to allow them to by no means hold more than five rounds and will ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The brand new legal guidelines would also ban some toys that look like real guns, corresponding to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read extra

"Because they look the same as real firearms, police need to treat them as if they're real. This has led to tragic consequences," Justice Minister David Lametti informed reporters.

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

He completely supported a crackdown on pretend weapons, which he said were a "massive challenge."

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

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

He stated authorities weren't utilizing the tools they already had to sort out gun violence, equivalent to calling individuals listed as references on gun license functions.

Register

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

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.