Tories introduce new anti-crime bills

Two new anti-crime bills that would impose mandatory minimum sentences and eliminate conditional sentencing for violent offenders willensure that "serious crimes aremet with significant consequences," Justice Minister Vic Toews said Thursday.

"We are changing the focus of the justice system so that serious crime will mean serious time," Toews told a news conference.

Under the proposed legislation, anyone convicted of using a gun while committing a serious, violent or gang-related crime, for example, will receive a minimum sentence of:

• Five years on a first offence.
• Sevenyears if the accused has one prior conviction of the same type of offence.
• Tenyears if they have more than one prior conviction of the same type of offence.

Those convicted of crimesrelated to possessing or trafficking illegal firearms will receive minimum sentences of threeyears to five years.

Toews also announced that the proposed bills would eliminate conditional sentencing, known as house arrest, for serious crimes, including violent and sexual offences, major drug offences, drunkdriving causing death and crimes against children.

Duringthe news conference, Toews was asked aboutstatistics that show mandatory minimum sentences do little to deter crime. But Toews pointed to U.S. states, where, he said, minimum mandatory sentences have produced a significant drop in crime.

"I'd like to see some of those statistics that say it doesn't work," he said.

Some critics have suggested the legislation will be costly and overload prisons.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said there could be 300 to 400 additional inmates in the next two to four years.

But he said that could change when people realize serious crimes have "grave consequences."