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

OTTAWA, Might 30 (Reuters) - Canada's authorities introduced laws Monday to implement a "national freeze" on the sale and buy of handguns as part of a gun control bundle that will also limit magazine capacities and ban some toys that seem like guns.

The brand new laws, which resurrects some measures that were shelved last 12 months amid a nationwide election, comes only a week after a gunman killed 19 children and two academics in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised reporters the new measures were wanted as gun violence was rising.

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"We'd like solely look south of the border to know that if we do not take motion firmly and rapidly it will get worse and worse and gets tougher 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 can be allowed to maintain them.

Authorities do not anticipate a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in part because they are so closely regulated already, an official mentioned in a briefing.

Canada has stronger gun legislation than the United States however whereas its gun homicide rate is less than one-fifth the U.S. charge it's larger than that of different rich nations and has been rising. In 2020 it was five times Australia's charge.

The speed in each of 2020 and 2017 was the nation's highest since a minimum of 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 ago within the wake of a mass capturing in Portapique, Nova Scotia - a transfer some firearms homeowners say they're contesting in court. Talking alongside Trudeau, Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed the "imminent launch of the preliminary part" of a program to purchase again and compensate owners of such weapons.

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

The planned legislation would forestall anybody topic to a protection order or who has engaged in home violence or stalking from obtaining or conserving a firearms license.

It would also require long-gun magazines to be completely altered so they can by no means maintain greater than 5 rounds and can ban the sale and switch of large-capacity magazines.

The new laws would also ban some toys that seem like real weapons, comparable to airsoft rifles. Last week Toronto police shot and killed a man carrying a pellet gun. read extra

"As a result of they look the same as real firearms, police must treat them as if they are real. This has led to tragic penalties," Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed a number of the strikes, such because the "crimson flag" provisions in the case of home violence, and said he would love extra data on enforcement and resources for measures such because the handgun freeze.

He utterly supported a crackdown on fake guns, which he said have been a "massive problem."

"You can not distinguish between what's a reproduction firearm and what's an actual firearm, significantly when these incidences involving reproduction firearms happen often 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 were not using the instruments they already needed to tackle gun violence, similar to calling folks 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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