Mr. Speaker, today Canadian police forces across this country have been meeting with parliamentarians to discuss issues of great concern to them.
One issue relates to the RCMP. And in my province of New Brunswick the provincial government has unilaterally replaced municipal police forces in the city of Moncton with the RCMP. And it plans to do the same in two other municipalities, the villages of Grand Bay and Westfield.
Our municipal police forces are worried, and rightfully so. When the RCMP comes in and takes over there is no guarantee that municipal police officers will be hired. Those who are hired do not enjoy the same employee rights that they once did under the provincial law.
Today these officers are in the gallery and are asking for a very simple measure from this government. On behalf of them, I urge the solicitor general to instruct the RCMP to adopt a takeover and hiring protocol similar to that employed by the Ontario Provincial Police.