44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 23, 2022 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, when our Conservative friends talk about the housing crisis, it seems as though they are always just opposing any measure the Liberal government proposes without bringing many solutions to the table.
I met an economist from the CMHC at a housing summit in Laval last week, and he said that, if we do not do something to change things, only 500,000 housing units will be built in Quebec over the next 10 years when, in fact, 1,100,000 units are needed to deal with the accessibility and affordability crisis. That is how many housing units we need to build in Quebec over the next 10 years to truly address this crisis.
What does the Conservative Party suggest we do to resolve this crisis?
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Mr. Speaker, we have given a number of suggestions. One suggestion is that we have a lot of federal buildings that are empty, and we could use those to build housing. We have a capacity problem. We have one of the lowest numbers of houses in the world when we look at it percentage-wise. We absolutely need to build more supply.
The other part is that costs are going up. When we have supply chain issues and when we have inflation the way it is, it makes it a lot more difficult for construction and for builders to build affordable housing. If we do not get this inflation crisis under control, it is not going to help with the affordability of building houses either.
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Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate many of the comments that the member has made.
One of the aspects of the legislation that is, ultimately, the most important from my perspective, which I know the member shares, is the area of dental care for children under the age of 12.
This is something that I and many believe is going to be able to assist so many families in all regions of the country, assisting, for the first time, many children who would never have received the type of dental care they require, the lack of which often leads children to be put into hospital situations.
I am wondering if my colleague could provide her thoughts in regard to children who are not getting the dental work today and who end up in hospitals because of the affordability issue.
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- Sep/23/22 11:26:48 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question.
I am so happy to see these demonstrations all across the country. I actually organized many such events when I was a little younger.
I would like to remind my colleague that, since we came to power, fossil fuel subsidies have decreased by over $4 billion a year. We are committed to eliminating those subsidies by next year, 2023, which is two years earlier than our G20 partners. We are taking action on climate change. We are taking action on affordability.
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- Sep/23/22 11:30:40 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we all know that the Bank of Canada is an independent institution. It has operated that way for more than a generation. We also know that it is a tough time for Canadians, which is why we have created a comprehensive affordability plan.
Members of the House will have a real opportunity this fall to make life more affordable for Canadians by doubling the GST benefit for 11 million households, by providing a housing benefit for renters who need it the most and by providing dental care to young children so they can get their teeth fixed.
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- Sep/23/22 11:34:11 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing we can agree on with my colleague it is that Canadians across the country are having a hard time buying a home. We agree on that.
Where we disagree is that from the start, the Conservatives across the way have voted against every government measure to provide access to home ownership and give money directly to people so they can pay their rent.
When it comes to affordability, it is our government who is concerned about people across the country.
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- Sep/23/22 11:49:47 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, because of the current government's actions, the workers in my riding have been left suffering with an affordability crisis. If three years of COVID were not bad enough, Liberal policies have only added to their pain: from the disastrous ArriveCAN app driving down tourism visits to new taxes and higher spending driving up inflation. The hard-working residents of Niagara are now earning less when they deserve so much more.
When will the government finally realize the error of its ways and end its planned tax increases on Canadians' hard-earned paycheques?
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- Sep/23/22 11:56:10 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just two weeks ago I announced a program, a $250-million program, to help tens of thousands of Canadians get off home heating oil and get access to cheaper, cleaner electricity to heat their homes and use in their houses. This is yet another example of how we can tackle the crisis of climate change and help Canadians with affordability. Unfortunately, on these two fronts, the Conservatives have nothing to offer Canadians.
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