Ralph Goodale

[Business of the House, June 18th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I think this can be fairly brief, considering the day that we are at on the calendar and how time flies. There is only one day left in the current supply period. That being the case, I wonder if the government House leader is able to designate the first allotted day in the new supply period, which effectively begins the day after tomorrow. I am sure the government House leader would want to be prompt in designating that first day.

Secondly, there is one outstanding item of business that has been raised a number of times across the floor in the House, and that is the announcement some days ago by the Prime Minister that he would be proposing an honorary Canadian citizenship for the Aga Khan. I wonder if the government House leader could indicate how the government intends to proceed on that matter.

This likely being the last Thursday of this particular session of the House, Mr. Speaker, I wonder if, on behalf of the official opposition, I could extend our thanks and appreciation to you, for the officers at the table, the translators, the pages and all the other people who are often nameless and faceless but serve us very well in the House. On behalf of the official opposition, we would want to say our thanks to all of them and wish them a very happy summer.

[Infrastructure, June 16th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that answer is only a confession of incompetence.

The government's Treasury Board official confirmed that 93% of stimulus spending is totally unaffected by anything that happens this week. The tiny remainder is easily covered by the blank cheque in the government's interim supply bill, which is already law. Therefore, the votes this week pose no threat to stimulus, not a penny. The threat is the government's inability to get approved money out the door, shovels in the ground and jobs created.

How much was actually spent in the first 120 days?

[Infrastructure, June 16th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the minister still cannot give the numbers.

Conservatives allege wrongly that unless their financial estimates are approved on Friday, the stimulus package will grind to a halt, but that is not true.

The budget was approved in February. The budget implementation bill was passed in March. So were the supplementary estimates and the interim supply bill. The government even gave itself extraordinary power to allocate money in April, May and June for spending through the rest of the year. Therefore, it has the money.

However, look at the record. The Conservatives left billions of approved dollars idle that last year. Why can they not admit those facts?

[Infrastructure, June 16th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in a reasonable and measured way the Leader of the Opposition raised four important issues yesterday. The Prime Minister responded by offering a meeting, which is taking place now. The issues were these: the isotope crisis, employment insurance improvements, the federal deficit and actual spending on infrastructure.

On the latter point, who in the government has a complete tally of actual infrastructure expenditures to date, not just announcements or promises or wishful thinking, but hard expenditures already made? Who can give those numbers specifically?

[Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement Act, June 15th, 2009]

I rise on a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if the government House leader, in light of the agreement that has just been arrived at, would indicate when it is his intention to call Bill C-41.

Could he also, apropos the business question last week, provide us with a little bit more information of his intentions with respect to the proposed honorary citizenship for the Aga Khan?

[Business of the House, June 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, let me just repeat for the benefit of the government House leader that the senators have both of those pieces of legislation clearly on their radar screen, and they will be dealt with expeditiously.

I wonder, though, if he would answer the one other point that I raised in my original question, and that is with regard to the government's plan with respect to proceeding by unanimous consent on honorary citizenship for the Aga Khan.

[Business of the House, June 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I think the House would be curious to know the work program that the government House leader has in mind for the balance of this week and next week.

I would like to raise four quick points. First of all, in response to his questions last week about Bill C-29, farm loans, and Bill C-33, veterans allowances, I can confirm that I have spoken to Senate colleagues and they expect a very expeditious process in the other place to bring those two items to a successful conclusion.

Second, I am sure the government House leader will want to take the opportunity to designate the two remaining days in the supply period so we will know exactly when they come next week.

Third, the Prime Minister has mentioned the conferring of honorary Canadian citizenship on the Aga Khan. That idea was very well received when it was mentioned in the House. No specific steps have yet been taken on implementation, and I wonder if there is a plan to proceed by unanimous consent on this matter before the end of next week.

Finally, the Maa-nulth treaty in British Columbia needs a ways and means motion and implementing legislation. The government House leader knows that the official opposition is supportive of this implementation. I wonder, again, if there is a plan to proceed by unanimous consent to make sure that treaty is implemented promptly, especially on this national reconciliation day.

[Judges Act, June 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Just for the sake of clarification for the record, would the government House leader confirm that this has to do with certain court matters in the province of Manitoba?

[Points of Order, June 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the government is engaged in deep damage control. It is trying to develop a procedural smokescreen to hide its deficiencies in respect of managing the isotope crisis in this country where it has failed twice abjectly in the last 18 months to safeguard the health and safety of Canadians. That is the issue.

The Conservatives are trying to sling mud and trying to confuse the issue to hide their own defects.

Mr. Speaker, I invite you to check the blues. You will find the language that I chose was very careful and it was not beyond the rules of parliamentary procedure.

[Medical Isotopes, June 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been in office for three and a half years and all the crises have happened on its watch, not on our watch. It is time to get serious.

Will there be new international isotope supplies guaranteed for Canada? How many are needed and—