WINNIPEG -- PRIME Minister Stephen Harper warned yesterday the days
of cushy house arrest and weak jail sentences for criminals are over.

Speaking to a bipartisan crowd of 1,200 people at a Manitoba Chambers
of Commerce luncheon in Winnipeg, Harper promised to introduce three
separate justice bills, including mandatory minimum prison terms, the
end of conditional sentences, and a two-year increase in the age of
sexual consent.

All were promises made during the election campaign and form part of
the justice pillar of the Harper government's five-point action plan.

"Every Canadian should be able to live in a safe and vibrant
community," Harper said. "What sense of community can you have when
people are afraid to walk the streets?"

The first of the three bills will create mandatory minimum prison
sentences for serious drug trafficking and weapons offences, crimes
committed by someone on parole, and repeat offenders.

"This measure is going to go a long way to help beat back the
epidemic of guns, gangs and drugs that is plaguing our cities," said
Harper to applause from the crowd. The second bill would eliminate
the practice of conditional sentences, which are akin to house
arrest. Harper called the practice "unconscionable."

"Under Canada's new national government, serious offenders are going
to serve out their sentences where they ought to -- in prison," he said.

The third and final bill would raise the age of consent for sexual
relations between children and adults to 16 from 14. Harper said this
move is long overdue, brings us into line with many other countries,
and will protect children from the increased activity of predators
over the Internet.

All three initiatives will likely receive solid support from the
provinces, including Manitoba.

"There are a number of issues Manitoba and other provinces have been
calling on Ottawa to take action on for years," said Manitoba
Attorney General Gord Mackintosh. "We're glad there appears to be
movement."

Manitoba for the last several years has been heavily pushing Ottawa
to deal with the issue of conditional sentences, in the wake of a
number of such sentences handed down for convictions of drunk driving
causing death or harm, robbery and manslaughter.

Harper doesn't seem convinced he'll get the same kind of support in
Parliament however and challenged the opposition parties to vote down
the initiatives at their own political peril. He noted all parties
promised anti-crime initiatives during the last election, and to
hinder these bills now would be inexcusable.

"We have made a decision to crack down on crime and we're going to
stick to it but we are in a minority parliament," he said. "That
means there are decisions that have to be made by the other parties,
especially on the issue of crime." He then said Canadians who support
these measures should make their voices heard.

"Call your MP and tell them to get with the plan," said Harper.

Although the audience -- a who's who of Manitoba's political and
business worlds -- applauded all three of Harper's new bills,
reaction was mixed from those in attendance following Harper's speech.

Doug Ruth said he has no plans to contact his MP to urge passage of
the bills.

"I think the issues are somewhat larger than he's making out to be,"
said Ruth. "It was a very political speech."

Cathy Rolland, a Winnipeg portfolio manager, said she thought the
speech was "excellent."

"It was decisive," she said. "It's certainly a welcome change from a
lot of political speeches which are very general. It will allow us to
more easily hold them to task."

And Winnipeg consultant and father of three, Michael Cobb, welcomed
the anti-crime strategy, particularly to give his children a safer
place to grow up. He said crime is "like a fungus" that spreads more
and more each year.