The Tories tabled two new anti-crime bills in the House of Commons Thursday -- aimed at toughening the country's justice system.

One of the bills seeks to impose mandatory minimum sentences for serious crimes such as drug trafficking and gun-related offences.

The other seeks to eliminate house arrest -- known as conditional sentencing -- for serious, violent and sex-related crimes punishable by maximum sentences of 10 years or more.

Federal Justice Minister Vic Toews said the tougher crime measures are needed to crack down on violent, dangerous and repeat offenders.

"We wanted to focus on specific types of crimes, these are guns and gangs," Toews told a news conference in Ottawa Thursday.

"When it comes to crime, it is the new government's firm commitment to finally respond to the concerns of police and, most importantly, of ordinary Canadians.

"We are changing the focus of the justice system so that serious crime will mean serious time.''

The controversial legislation will impose:

• five-year minimum sentences on first-time weapons offenders;
• seven years on second-timers; and
• 10 years on multiple offenders.

Other firearm-related offences such as trafficking and smuggling and cases of robbery with a stolen weapon will also be subject to escalating minimum prison sentences of three to five years.

"With these two bills, the new government is meeting its commitment to protect Canadian communities and families by tackling gun, gang and drug violence and keeping criminals off the streets," Toews added.

Laws would overload prisons: critics

Critics, however, have suggested the legislation will overload prisons and cost the federal government millions of dollars.

"Criminologists do not support his (Toews) analysis," legal analyst Julian Falconer told CTV Newsnet Thursday.

"We have no proof that jailing more people stops crime. Where is the money to address this? What are we doing by way of preventative measures?"

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the new law could lead to an increase of up to 400 prisoners in the federal system.

"It's our estimate, it's not exact, it's not scientific," said Day at a news conference.

But officials said later the numbers that Day cited didn't include the nearly 4,000 more prisoners that could end up in provincial jails for lesser crimes.

The Conservatives have not committed any new funds to help provinces cope with more prisoners. But Toews said overall transfers to provinces went up in this week's budget, and that the money could go toward building prisons.

When asked by reporters about statistics that indicate mandatory minimum sentences do little to deter crime, Toews said minimum mandatory sentences had produced a drop in crime in some U.S. states.

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

Opposition MPs said Tories are overreacting to the country's crime problems.

"They are wrong as a matter of policy and suspect as a matter of law,'' said Irwin Cotler, the Liberal public safety critic."This is not a bill that I would support."

Cotler argues that the Conservative measures set prison terms far too high, and that increases of one or two years in gun-related mandatory minimum sentences would be more reasonable.

NDP justice critic Joe Comartin had "serious doubts" that the law, as it stands, would survive challenges under the Charter of Rights.

Comartin said although his party agrees that tougher sentences are needed for some gun crimes, but it will try to amend the bill to cut down on the number of mandatory terms.

The Conservatives have pledged to create a mandatory DNA data bank for sex offenders, and end "defence loopholes" for child pornography.

They have also promised a third anti-crime bill this spring, which would raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16.

Government officials say that bill is still being developed.

Budget pledge

The announcement follows Tuesday's federal budget pledge of $1.4 billion over two years to increase Canada's security -- including increasing the number of police officers on the streets.

Conservatives promised to hire 1,000 more Royal Canadian Mounted Police with a $161 million increase in funding to the force.

However, $124 million won't come until 2007-08.

The budget also pledged $37 million to expand the RCMP National Training Academy to accommodate the new officers, and $20 million for communities to prevent youth crime, with a focus on guns, gangs and drugs.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he will increase prison spaces to accommodate any increase in sentencing.

At a speech in Winnipeg last month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper outlined the criminal justice reforms his government was planning to take led by Toews.

"The safe streets and safe neighbourhoods that Canadians have come to expect as being part of our way of life are being threatened by rising levels of gun, gang, and drug crime," Harper said on April 19.

Harper promised to "completely overhaul" the criminal justice system by increasing police forces across the country and by toughening up sentences during last winter's federal election campaign.

The pledge to "prevent crime by putting more police on the street and improving the security of our borders" was also repeated in last month's throne speech.