SoVote

Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary Nose Hill, CPC)

Dec/5/22 3:50:13 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-32

Mr. Speaker, when the government unveiled its housing strategy in 2017, there was $78.5 billion dedicated toward it. The goal was for homelessness to be reduced by half by 2027-28 and by a third within 18 months, so we are long past that. Recently the Auditor General discovered that billions of dollars has been spent and, as of today, the number of people living on the streets in Canada has actually risen. That is one example of the government putting spending out as a metric, saying it is spending but failing to actually achieve outcomes for people. I have some concern in trusting the government when it is continuing to spend at record levels without showing actual movement on progress. The government has, since 2015, doubled the entire amount historically of Canada's debt, yet we have seen greenhouse gas emissions rise and homelessness rise. Why is the government spending at this level without outcomes, given that we are looking at the great-grandmother of debt crises in this country?

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Context: House Hansard - 141 - Dec/5/22

Mr. Francesco Sorbara

Dec/5/22 3:51:27 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-32

Mr. Speaker, we do know that a number of the programs we have put in place have helped, for example, the Canada child benefit has lifted literally hundreds of thousands of Canadians out of poverty. In reference to homelessness metrics, if there is one person in Canada who is homeless, that is one too many. Our government knows that. I think all of us here as legislators know that. We must continue to come up with and implement effective solutions to dealing with homelessness problems. Many of them are connected, obviously, to mental health issues. We know how big of an issue that is for Canadians. We have work to do. We are doing work. We are being compassionate about this. We are being effective, but we have work to do.

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Context: House Hansard - 141 - Dec/5/22

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Dec/5/22 3:54:18 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-32

Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I felt was really missing in this fall economic statement was a serious and comprehensive investment in housing, specifically for smaller, rural and remote communities. A few weeks ago, I was a part of a big dialogue in my region where the Campbell River Community Foundation and the Campbell River and District Coalition To End Homelessness brought together stakeholders from the whole region. Some of my smallest communities have a very specific need, and they have people who are living in substandard housing or they are out on the streets. When there is a population of 1,300 people to 4,000 people, one does not want to see that. Could this member talk about the need for rural and remote communities to actually have funding resources and for the federal government to finally get into the game?

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