In my role as an MP, I get quite a bit of correspondence, sometimes on general themes and sometimes regarding specific questions. When I receive several letters on one particular issue, I know that it is being talked about in the community at large. Today, I am going to try to answer some of the questions which I have received in the mailbag.

1. Q: Is Canada negotiating away its bulk water to the USA?

No. This issue seems to come up periodically, and I’m not sure where the story comes from. Stories about water shortages, bottled water sales and the like certainly sell a lot of newspapers. But people do not have to worry about Canada’s lakes being drained or rivers diverted. Also, from a very practical perspective, it is way too expensive to ship the amounts of water necessary for irrigation and other large scale uses down to the desert areas of the southern U.S.

2. Q: Can the federal government pave the highway near my town?

No, not directly. The federal government does not provide direct payments for paving highways, except in very specific and unique situations. Ottawa does give money to the provinces and they pave the roads. But I cannot dictate that any specific road be paved. This year, the federal government gave record amounts of money to Saskatchewan for roads and infrastructure. So, there should be no excuse for roads to be in disrepair in areas like Bellvue, St. Brieux to Muenster, etc. The only excuse for these roads not to be in good condition is either waste by Premier Calvert or provincial riding favoritism by NDP cabinet ministers.

3. Q: I thought the new employment tax credit was $1,000/year. Why isn’t it that high? (see line 217 of your income tax return) The employment tax credit will be $1,000/year over a full year. On last year’s taxes, the amount was lower because the budget was introduced in March. Changes were phased in to reflect a July 1st start for the changes to the tax code.

I’m Brad Trost, your MP for Saskatoon-Humboldt. I welcome your feedback, contact my offices anytime. You can contact my office at (306) 975-6133.