Conservative justice critic Kelvin Goertzen is calling on Manitoba to follow Nova Scotia's lead in electronically monitoring criminal offenders.

Nova Scotia's provincial government has announced that 25 people serving house arrest in Halifax will become the first people in Canada to have their movements tracked by a global positioning system.

When the first bracelets are activated on Wednesday, the satellite-tracking technology will allow a private company to follow offenders wherever they go, reporting any violations of release conditions to police.

In Manitoba, Goertzen says the Justice Department has been dragging its feet for years, studying the issue. The delay is putting Manitobans at risk, he said.

"If you've got 300 sexual offenders, for example, who are out on bail or some other kind of condition, that's a small price to pay to ensure that those individuals are not near a school, not near vulnerable children," Goertzen said.

Attorney General Gord Mackintosh said the Justice Department is still studying the issue for good reason.

"I am very concerned when I hear from defence lawyers and the opposition, that people can get out of jail by way of an electronic monitoring bracelet," he said.

"If there are people who are a danger to the community, they should be incarcerated, quite frankly."

However, Mackintosh said he is open to the idea generally, and expects the department's review of the issue to be completed soon.