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

The new laws, which resurrects some steps that were shelved last yr amid a nationwide election, arrives just a 7 days following a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in their classroom in Uvalde, Texas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explained to reporters the new actions were being required as gun violence was increasing.

“We require only glimpse south of the border to know that if we do not just take action firmly and quickly it will get worse and even worse and gets far more challenging to counter,” he mentioned.

The handgun freeze would incorporate exceptions, together with for elite sport shooters, Olympic athletes and protection guards. Canadians who previously personal handguns would be allowed to maintain them.

Authorities do not expect a run on handguns in anticipation of the freeze, in section mainly because they are so seriously regulated by now, an formal said in a briefing.

Canada has more robust gun laws than the United States but whilst its gun murder fee is fewer than a person-fifth the U.S. price it is greater than that of other loaded countries and has been climbing. In 2020 it was 5 times Australia’s fee.

The charge in every of 2020 and 2017 was the country’s maximum considering the fact that at least 1997, in accordance to Studies Canada.

Canada banned the sale and use of some 1,500 versions of assault weapons, like the AR-15 rifle, two years in the past in the wake of a mass taking pictures in Portapique, Nova Scotia – a go some firearms entrepreneurs say they are contesting in courtroom. Talking along with Trudeau, General public Basic safety Minister Marco Mendicino verified the “imminent start of the preliminary phase” of a software to acquire again and compensate owners of such weapons.

Whilst the Liberals have a minority of seats in Parliament, the laws could move with the help of the left-leaning New Democratic Bash.

The planned legislation would stop any individual topic to a defense order or who has engaged in domestic violence or stalking from getting or holding a firearms license.

It will also demand prolonged-gun magazines to be permanently altered so they can in no way keep much more than five rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of huge-capability magazines.

The new legal guidelines would also ban some toys that look like genuine guns, these kinds of as airsoft rifles. Previous 7 days Toronto police shot and killed a gentleman carrying a pellet gun.

“Because they seem the very same as real firearms, law enforcement have to have to deal with them as if they are serious. This has led to tragic implications,” Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters.

Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Affiliation, welcomed some of the moves, these as the “red flag” provisions in the case of domestic violence, and mentioned he would like much more data on enforcement and resources for measures these kinds of as the handgun freeze.

He wholly supported a crackdown on pretend guns, which he reported were a “big challenge.”

“You cannot distinguish between what is a replica firearm and what is a authentic firearm, notably when these incidences involving duplicate firearms happen often in extremely dynamic, quickly evolving situation.”

Rod Giltaca, the head of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Legal rights, claimed the handgun freeze was “absurd.”

He reported authorities have been not using the tools they now had to deal with gun violence, this sort of as contacting persons detailed as references on gun license purposes.