PM Harper's speech on crime today.........

In the last few months and years, we have witnessed growing media reports of drug, gun and gang violence, especially in the city of Toronto.

These incidents appear no longer limited to supposedly “bad neighbourhoods”, but have occurred in downtown centres frequented by families, workers, students and tourists.

Clearly this cannot go on.

If we are to protect our Canadian way of life, we need to crack down on gun, gang and drug crime.

Canadians are tired of talk. They want action, and they want it now.

And that’s what Canada’s new Government is going to do – take action.

Holding Criminals to Account

First of all, we’ll hold criminals to account.

We’ll set mandatory minimum sentences for serious, violent and repeat crimes.

We are going to hold criminals to account.

This means making sure sentences match the severity of crimes – and getting violent criminals off the streets so they can’t re-offend.

This Government will send a strong message to criminals.

If you do a serious crime, you’re going to do serious time.

That’s why, during our mandate, we will take the following actions:

* We’ll introduce mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug traffickers, weapons offences, repeat offenders and crimes committed while on parole;
* We’ll end conditional sentences for serious crimes;
* We’ll repeal the “Faint Hope Clause”;
* And we’ll replace statutory release with earned parole.

Parole will no longer be granted automatically – as it often is today.

Parole is a privilege – and it has to be earned.

Putting More Police on the Streets

Holding criminals to account will require more police.

That’s why we’re also going to work with our partners in other levels of government to make sure there are more police officers on the streets.

This is of vital importance, because many police forces are currently underfunded and under siege.

This situation carries dire consequences for public safety. The lack of police patrols inevitably leads to more crime and more serious crime.

Canadians have told us that’s something they can’t live with.

So we’re going to act by:

* Establishing a new cost-shared program with provincial and municipal governments to hire new police officers;
* Re-investing savings from the long-gun registry into front-line law enforcement;
* And investing new federal money into criminal justice priorities – including youth at risk programs. .........