Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled on Wednesday the Conservative government's plan to move forward with justice reform this spring, which will include mandatory minimum sentences for a series of crimes.

The minimum sentences will apply to drug trafficking, weapons offences, crimes committed while on parole, and to repeat and violent offenders, Harper told the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce on Wednesday.

"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," Harper said.

"Tackling this kind of crime is critical because it is becoming increasingly clear that rising levels of gun, gang and drug crime are not just a series of tragic, random events. Organized criminal activity is fuelling much of the crime problem," he said.

The second measure will be to end the practice of conditional sentences, which allow criminals to serve out their sentences at home.

"Simply put, the current practice of allowing some criminals ... to serve out their sentences at home is unconscionable. Under Canada's new national government, serious offenders are going to serve out their sentences where they ought to, in prison," he said.

Another move by the government will be to increase the age for sexual consent between an adult and teen from 14 to 16.

"As many of you will know, this change will bring us in line with most of the countries of the world," Harper said.

"It is long overdue and it is particularly important in the age of the Internet where young people are increasingly targeted by cyber-predators."

Harper said the measures will be introduced as separate bills in the House of Commons, and challenged the Opposition to support each one.

"We know where Canadians stand, they are with us. It's now time for the Opposition to tell us where they stand," he said.

CTV's Mike Duffy said Harper is deliberately setting out to make it tough for the Opposition by introducing separate bills.

"He clearly wants to put the Opposition parties on the record as to where they stand on these issues and therefore he says, when it comes into parliament in the not-too-distant future, the crime package will be individual pieces of legislation, not just one."