Ralph Goodale

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, I am glad to have this opportunity to question the minister. I must say that in response to the last exchange, it certainly does stand out that the government is spending close to $100 million on rail safety and close to $600 million on tax-paid government advertising.

I would like to take the minister to Bill C-30, the issue of grain transportation in western Canada and the horrendous backlog of grain transport this last year. The industry is forecasting, and indeed, I think the minister herself used this number, that the carry-forward at the end of this particular crop year will be something in the order of 23 million tonnes that was grown last year but was unable to be shipped because the grain handling and transportation system failed so badly. If that is the carry-over on top of even a normal crop in western Canada this summer, the industry will be facing much the same challenge this year as it faced last year. It will be a huge problem for a great many farmers.

Will the government ensure that the system, which failed last year, will not fail this coming year, that it is ready to cope with that volume and that it is ready to cope with other exigencies, like difficult weather conditions? Will farmers have that assurance?

[Employment, April 30th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, because of the government's mismanagement of temporary foreign workers, employees and employers alike have been damaged. Legitimate employers with real job market needs have been jeopardized. Canadian jobs have been lost, some wages have been driven down, some foreign workers have been abused, all because of Conservative incompetence.

Conservatives have run this program for eight years, and they have run it into the ground. It is on their watch. It is their responsibility.

Can Canadians at least get a commitment that the government will get this mess investigated and fixed and the program salvaged before this summer?

[Questions on the Order Paper, April 28th, 2014]

With regard to the Canada Research Chairs, for each fiscal year from 2013-2014 to 2027-2028, (i) what are the total funds allocated, (ii) what is the number of chair allocations funded, (iii) what is the amount of funding per chair?

[Employment, April 28th, 2014]

No red herrings, Mr. Speaker.

While the temporary foreign workers program has grown exponentially, the number of landed immigrants coming to Canada to become citizens has stayed pretty flat. That would seem to suggest exploitation: limited numbers on a pathway to citizenship, but big and growing numbers brought in for their labour with no hope of actually becoming Canadians.

In fixing this troubled program, will the government put a sharp focus on stopping exploitation, increasing pathways to citizenship and, above all, recruiting, training and employing Canadians?

[Employment, April 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the temporary foreign workers program is supposed to fill job market gaps when there are no other alternatives. It is not meant to be long-term employment substitution.

If it slides in that direction, Canadians lose their jobs, young people especially are blocked from first employment, wages are driven down, and foreign workers themselves are left vulnerable to exploitation.

The program has ballooned since 2006 by some 300%. Why will the government not ask the Auditor General to get the whole truth so it can be fixed?

[Employment, April 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the government seemed surprised last week by reported abuses of the temporary foreign workers program in the restaurant sector. Suddenly there is a moratorium. However, we know there are problems as well in banking, mining and other industries too.

Over a year ago, on the motion by the member for Cape Breton—Canso, Liberals warned about this. To save the program, we asked for a full review to get rid of the abuses. The government voted no, and the trouble got worse.

The department cannot investigate itself. Is it not time for the Auditor General to get on this file?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 8th, 2014]

With regard to the costs of providing security to the Prime Minister, what are the total costs for each fiscal year, from 2003-2004 to 2013-2014?

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, April 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, about grain transportation, all parties are trying to deal quickly with Bill C-30. The deadline for filing amendments was last Friday. Because of that timing, some key stakeholders had no chance to submit their views, including the Province of Saskatchewan.

We have all just received a letter from provincial minister Lyle Stewart. Will the government accept his request that emergency legislation not be sunsetted in 2016, but kept in place until the CTA review is done and permanent legislation is enacted? That is sensible. Will the government agree?

[Infrastructure, April 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should check his own budget, at page 178.

Cutting this fund by 87% makes no sense. The finance department itself says that infrastructure funding is the most cost-effective way to drive future growth. Investments now capture low interest rates and transform that value into long-term capital assets, but the vast majority of the building Canada fund is postponed. Three-quarters of it will not happen until after 2019, and municipalities cannot get answers.

I ask again, of the small amount that is available, how much is earmarked specifically for Fort McMurray?

[Infrastructure, April 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, after two months of denial, the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs is starting to fess up.

In his last answer in the House, about the building Canada fund, he finally admitted that it has, in fact, been chopped from $1.6 billion down to just $210 million. That is an 87% reduction.

This is the major fund for big municipal projects: just $210 million for the whole country. What portion of that small amount will be available for infrastructure in places like Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo regional municipality? Precisely how much for them?