Last fall, [Rob Nicholson] introduced legislation that would allow judges to weigh whether a sentence will deter others from committing the same offence when deciding prison time. A second change would make it easier for a judge to deny bail to a young offender. "The intent of these amendments is simple," [Stephen Harper] said Friday night. "To hold young lawbreakers responsible for their behaviour and to make them accountable to their victims and to their community."

"Let me be clear. We are concerned about young people who may be at risk of falling into a life of crime, and we are developing programs to deal effectively with that, but our government has no intention of allowing young criminals to avoid punishment and evade responsibility," the prime minister said. "Anyone who presents a serious threat to public safety should be held fully accountable for their actions."

"We believe the central purpose of a criminal justice system is not the welfare of the criminal, it is the protection of law-abiding citizens and their property," Harper said, taking time to condemn "ivory-tower experts, the tut-tutting commentators (and) the out-of-touch politicians."