A Regina Liberal MP is giving the Harper government a failing grade on its fall fiscal update.
Ralph Goodale says the fiscal update is evidence of the Conservatives’ skewed economic priorities as the government has chosen to blow money on a flawed income splitting tax cut for families rather than investing in badly needed infrastructure in First Nations communities.
“By increasing the investment in infrastructure, you would be making a considerable new investment in the ability of First Nations to deliver top quality education to their people,” he says.
Goodale also says it is time to do away with the government’s two per cent cap on increases to on-reserve funding.
“The two per cent cap needs to go. There’s a cap on the funding of K-12 and there’s another cap on access of secondary graduates to the post-secondary level. So there are two kinds of caps and both of those things are inhibiting the ability of First Nations young people.”
Overall, he says the government’s failure to invest properly in the economy means Canada is now projected to have declining economic growth in the years to come.
The fiscal update shows Ottawa will be running a $2.9 billion deficit this year before posting a $1.9 billion surplus in 2015-2016.
Ralph Goodale is the MP for the Wascana riding and the deputy leader of the Liberal Party.