Ralph Goodale

[Taxation, November 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the latest figures on economic growth show that the Canadian economy actually shrank in August. The GDP is down.

The government has no growth agenda. Its sole reliance on the oil sector is wobbly. The dollar is down. The Governor of the Bank of Canada is telling 200,000 young people to work for nothing while they live in their parents' basement.

How can the government justify a $2 billion income-splitting giveaway that helps only 15% of households, disproportionately the wealthy, and discourages economic growth?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, November 3rd, 2014]

With regard to the former Environment Minister's intention stated on January 20, 2012, to “invest an additional $78.7 million over the next five years to further enhance weather and warning services across the country” and his intention stated on May 27, 2013, to invest “an additional $248 million over five years to further strengthen Canada's meteorological services”: (a) in what manner have these commitments been fulfilled to date; (b) what plans exist to implement these commitments in the future; and (c) what are the details, in (a) and (b), of each project related to the commitments including (i) its title, (ii) a summary of the project, (iii) its location, (iv) its estimated cost, (v) its targeted start date, (vi) its estimated completion date?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, November 3rd, 2014]

With regard to public private partnerships financed by the government: (a) what are all the projects so financed; (b) how long did it take to design the bidding process; (c) what was the length of the bidding process from initial expression of interest to close; and (d) what was the cost of a bid for proponents?

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, the social development minister said, “...the majority of single parents are low-income, so income splitting would not benefit them.”

However, it is actually worse. Whether they are low-income or high, single moms and dads get nothing, simply because they are single.

Canada today has over 1.5 million single-parent families. In the words of Jim Flaherty, why does the government think it benefits our society overall to make those who cannot split pay for the more privileged who can?

[Taxation, November 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, here is an important quote. “It benefits some parts of the Canadian population a lot and other parts of the Canadian population, virtually not at all.” That is what the late Jim Flaherty said of the type of income splitting announced last week.

A single mother working as a nurse and raising an eight-year-old child would get nothing from income splitting. However, a senior bank executive whose husband stays home with their eight-year-old would get $2,000. How does that pass Jim Flaherty's test of fairness?

[Petitions, October 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to present today, signed by a large number of people in Saskatchewan, particularly in the Saskatoon area.

The petitioners indicate their concern about environmental protection of fresh water in Canada, and especially the loss of the Environmental Lakes Area as an important research facility under federal jurisdiction. They urge the Government of Canada to ensure that freshwater systems in our country are properly protected.

[Public Safety, October 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, both CSIS and the RCMP have said in recent days that they are doing their best to discharge their security duties with the current resources they have available.

Commissioner Paulson said yesterday that 300 RCMP officers had been reallocated to security work, taken from units fighting organized crime and financial crime. That situation is not likely sustainable.

Does the government have an estimate of what incremental funding will be necessary for the RCMP and CSIS, and when can it be made available?

[Public Safety, October 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, we join with colleagues from all parties who are in Hamilton today, paying solemn tribute to the late Corporal Nathan Cirillo. Our thoughts and prayers are with his son, Marcus, his family, comrades and friends.

In responding to this tragedy, we must ensure adequate resources are available to our security services: the Canadian Forces, the RCMP, CSIS and others. Is the government conducting a comprehensive analysis of security funding across all departments and agencies of the Government of Canada?

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, October 21st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, media speculation is growing in the west about the final disposal of the Canadian Wheat Board. The deadline is not until 2017, but it does appear to be happening more quickly.

Can the minister say how many potential buyers have signed confidentiality agreements to gain access to CWB's detailed data, how many of those buyers are Canadian, how many are foreigners, and how many are farmers? Since all of the assets of the CWB come from farmers' money, not government money, how will the proceeds of any sale be returned to farmers?

[Rail Transportation, October 10th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, again there was no precise answer.

To repeat, last April, the minister said the most dangerous DOT-111 cars would be gone within one month. Were they or were they not involved in the train wreck this week in Saskatchewan? The railway is saying these particular DOT-111s were not their cars, indeed they were supplied by the shipper of the highly flammable distillate. I am sure that is a great comfort to the people of Clair, Saskatchewan, and Lac-Mégantic.

How is the government requiring shippers, not just railways but shippers too, to get these dangerous cars out of service?