Raised on a family farm near Wilcox, Saskatchewan, Ralph Goodale received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Regina in 1971, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan in 1972. He has practical experience in business, agriculture, law, and broadcasting, as well as federal and provincial politics.
He was first elected to the Parliament of Canada in 1974 at the age of 24, representing Assiniboia in Saskatchewan. In the 1980s, he served as leader of the provincial Liberal Party, and was elected to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in 1986.
Mr. Goodale returned to the House of Commons in 1993 as the Member of Parliament for Wascana, and was subsequently re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2015. He served in the federal Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Minister of Natural Resources, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
Ralph Goodale and his spouse, Pamela, make their home in Regina.