Nick: Earlier this week, Canada
unveiled new legislation that
would freeze new handgun
purchases and create a mandatory
buyback program for
semiautomatic rifles.
The announcement coincided with
the funerals in uvalde but it
was years in the making and an
example of how countries around
the world have responded to
their own mass shootings.
>> What happened in Nova Scotia
this past weekend is every
community's worst nightmare.
>> It was the deadliest shooting
in Canadian history.
In April, 2020, 22 people were
shot to death in Nova Scotia
including police constable Heidi
Stevenson who died trying to
protect her community.
Canada suffered previous gun
tragedies and tightened gun laws
but the Nova Scotia massacre led
to a ban on military style
rifles and further restrictions
announced this week.
>> What this means is it will no
transfer or import handguns.
Anywhere in can davment.
>> The new legislation also
forces owners of military-style
rifles to turn them in for
destruction.
That move echos reforms made in
2019 by New Zealand.
For the city of christchurch,
March 16 was a day of mourning.
Residentsaid mountains flowers
near two Muslim worship centers
where a lone gunman had, the day
before, walked inside and killed
15 people as they prayed.
For prime minister ja sin da ar
Dern it was a call to action.
>> I can tell you right now our
gun laws will change.
>> In fewer than four weeks
parliament debated and passed a
bill banning many guns and
offering a buyback program for
banned guns, and anyone who kept
those guns went to jail.
>> It is our experience.
I'm eur -- I'm sure the liesks
Australia, who we use their
experience, would equally be
open to do the same.
>> First a scene of carnage in
art Arthur.
>> In 1996, Australian TV showed
the aftermath of a massacre.
A gunman killed three dozen
people.
It became known as one of
Australia's darkest days.
>> It was shocking.
35 people were killed which at
the time was the largest of
these types of shootings ever in
the world.
Because it was a holiday
destination, people were killed
and injured from every state in
Australia.
>> It's time for tough, tough
gun laws.
>> Rebecca Peters is an expert
on international gun control to
reform Australia's gun laws.
>> We used to have in Australia
a mass shooting about once a
year.
Our two major parties were both
intimidated by the gun lobby
which had said whichever party
moves to strengthen gun laws
we'll campaign against them in
an election.
>> But a conservative prime
minister had just been elected
and didn't feel those fierce.
Within days he issued sweeping
reforms.
Australia's parliament passed
the national firearms agreement
banning semiautomatic is rifles
and shotguns, establish a
registry of all guns in the
country and enacted strong
background checks.
And a buyback program seized and
destroyed thousands of guns.
>> Our politicians somehow just
stood up and said we're going to
be grown ups and both Pears
agreed it was critical to have
bipartisan support.
So I think it was kind of a rare
moment of integrity for our
members of parliament.
>> What was the impact of the
gun laws passed after port
Arthur?
>> It's been a very dramatic
impact.
We didn't have another mass
shooting for 25 years.
We still have things go wrong.
But we have much lower levels of
gun violence.
And also a higher level of
confidence.
You know, Australians never --
it never occurs to us that we
might get murdered and we don't
have metal detectors going into
schools.
>> School shootings in Britain
are also largely unthinkable
since the 1996 tragedy in the
Scottish down of dunblain.
Parents rushed the school after
a gunman carrying four handguns
shot dead a teach arynd 16
children.
>> Just in a state of shock.
It seems unreal.
Can't understand anyone doing
anything like this.
>> Over the next few year, the
British passed increasingly
strict laws that banned all but
the smallest caliber handguns.
Today their gun homicide rate is
.7 per million one of the lowest
in the world.
The U.S. Rate is 38 times the
u.k.'s.
So far this year the U.S. Has
suffered at least 225 mass
shootings.
>> With these kinds of mass
shootings never happen with the
kind of frequency they happen in
America.
Why?
Why are we willing to live with
this carnage?
Why do we keep letting this
happen?
>> Why does this only happen in
your country?
>> Last week sky news' mark
stone challenged Texas
Republican Ted Cruz.
>> Why only in America?
Why is this American
exceptional.
I so awful?
>> I'm sorry you think American
exceptional.
I is awful.
>> I think this aspect of it --
>> You got your political
agenda.
God love you.
>> So it appears these tragedies