The Conservatives say the new crime bill outlined in the throne speech is their main priority, and will be the first piece of legislation introduced in Parliament this fall, provided an election isn't called.

The Tories will 'hold the opposition's feet to the fire' in order to pass a new crime bill, says Industry Minister Jim Prentice.
(CBC)

"It is the priority of Canadians, that's what we've heard over the course of the summer months," Industry Minister Jim Prentice told CBC News on Wednesday, one day after the throne speech was read on Parliament Hill.

"We don't feel we were able to get the criminal justice legislation that Canadians asked for through the House of Commons in the last session. We're going to hold the opposition's feet to the fire to get it through this time."

The new crime bill, as outlined in the throne speech, will include measures on impaired driving, age of sexual consent, stricter bail conditions and mandatory prison terms for gun crimes.

Discussions about the bill came as Statistics Canada released its latest crime numbers on Wednesday, finding that the national homicide rate fell by 10 per cent in 2006, in keeping with a 30-year downward trend. However, the rate of youths accused of homicide has hit a 45-year high.

All of the measures outlined in the new crime bill were part of legislation that was brought forward during the first session of Parliament, but never passed. Prime Minister Stephen Harper last fall accused opposition parties of stalling the crime bills in committee and trying to water them down.

According to the throne speech, the former legislation will be revived as one omnibus crime bill.

The throne speech was read Tuesday night by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean, marking the beginning of the fall session in Parliament.

If less than half of MPs vote to accept the speech after six days of debate in the House of Commons, Harper's minority government will fall and an election will be called.

NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe have already said their parties will not support the Conservative throne speech, so the fate of the government lies in the hands of the Liberals.

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said he will announce his party's position on Wednesday.

Tories are seeking 'a mandate to govern'

Prentice insisted his government does not want an election and did not purposely put items in the throne speech that opposition parties cannot accept.

"What we are seeking from Parliament is a mandate to govern," he said. "We've set out very clearly a throne speech that's very substantive, that sets out the agenda the government would like to pursue on behalf of Canadians."

"We are not voting for an election, we are voting for this mandate, for a throne speech," he added.

Certain items in the throne speech are likely to rattle the Liberals, including plans to keep Canada involved in Afghanistan until at least 2011, when the NATO mission is set to officially expire. The Liberals want Canada to leave in 2009.

The Liberals also wanted to see Canada meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol, but the throne speech states that Canada's emissions cannot be brought to the level required under the Kyoto accord in time for a compliance period that begins in less than three months.

"The throne speech contains a statement of fact, which is that the objectives set out in the Kyoto Protocol are not achievable, they've simply not been achieved," Prentice said.

He said Conservatives take a lot of pride in the alternate plans laid out in the throne speech — plans to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions 60 to 70 per cent by 2050, with a 20 per cent reduction by 2020.

Political scientist predicts the government won't fall

Paul Thomas, a political scientist with the University of Manitoba, predicts Dion will find a way to express his displeasure with the throne speech without allowing the government to fall, forcing an election.

"Mr. Dion will probably want to try and vote himself personally against this, to reinforce his image of a man of integrity and principle," Thomas said. "But he probably will arrange for backbenchers to be absent or to abstain from the vote."

If enough Liberal backbenchers refrain from voting, the Conservatives will have enough votes to pass the motion, Thomas said.

"I don't think anyone in Parliament thinks there's a public mood in favour of an election now," he said. "Nobody is bumping up against the level of support in the polls that would give them a majority government [should there be an election]."