"The days of soft, lenient penalties are over," says Simcoe-Grey MP Helena Guergis.

The MP said this week that "criminals who threaten our communities will now get the jail time and penalties they deserve," after the passage of the Tackling Violent Crime Act received royal assent on Feb. 28.

The reforms, after a rough ride in the Liberal-dominated Senate, will come into force within the next few months.

The new law strengthens the Criminal Code in five areas:
-Tougher mandatory jail time for serious gun crimes;
-New bail provisions which require that those accused of serious gun crimes show why they shouldn't be kept in jail while awaiting trial;
-Better protection for youth from adult sexual predators by increasing the age of protection for sexual activity from 14 years to 16 years;
-More effective sentencing and monitoring to prevent dangerous, high-risk offenders from offending again; and
-New ways to detect and investigate drug-impaired driving and stronger penalties for impaired driving.

"We are proud to have pushed for these changes for the past two years," said Guergis.

"Today, families and communities across Canada can feel safer.  This government will continue to deliver on what is important to Canadians - the safety and security of their communities - because protecting society is a priority for this government, not an afterthought.