Mr. Chair, I, along with my colleague from a neighbouring riding in Nova Scotia, have queried the minister and have repeatedly made the point that this drug section does invaluable work. In fact, compared to other parts of the province, including metro Halifax, this has been per capita the most successful drug section in the province of Nova Scotia. Its ability to shut down grow ops, to make arrests and to break up drug rings and circles of trafficking has been remarkable. Members of the section are to be commended, as are all those in the law enforcement community, for the work they are doing in this regard.
To withdraw that service from northern Nova Scotia at this time is an absolute travesty. To withdraw those officers, to reconcentrate, to reallocate, to do what we have heard the minister and even the commissioner of the RCMP describe as simply reallocating resources, is again a withdrawal of services. It is taking law enforcement officers away from the source of the crime and leaving people vulnerable. Drug use and drug trafficking will grow in those areas, as opposed to having the officers front line, on the street and in close proximity.
I know many of the officers personally who are involved in the efforts to ensure that the streets of our communities are safe. They are actively engaged in doing that important work and the government is preventing them from doing so by withdrawing that support and closing that particular drug section and moving it to metro Halifax. That is not to say that Halifax does not have a problem as well, but we are taking officers away from the actual source and the actual problem with drug proliferation in northern Nova Scotia.
It should be stopped. If the decision has been made it should be reversed. What the government should be doing is putting more officers in this drug enforcement unit as opposed to closing it or withdrawing the support.