44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 5, 2023 10:00AM
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today to speak to Bill C-56, the affordable housing and groceries act.
The entire world is experiencing a global inflation crisis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine and supply chain and climate change challenges, inflation is a worldwide issue. Compared to other G7 countries, Canada has fared very well, but that does not mean our country is immune to the factors driving up high prices around the world.
COVID-19 was an unforeseen global crisis. The world essentially ground to a halt. Canada has performed relatively well through the pandemic recovery thanks to the resiliency of the Canadian economy and in part to the programs the government introduced to support Canadians and business owners. However, just because Canada is doing better than many other G7 nations, that does not mean Canadians are not experiencing difficulties.
This past summer, I spoke to many constituents in Surrey—Newton who had concerns about the price of housing and the price of groceries. Therefore, I am very pleased Bill C-56 was the first piece of legislation the government introduced this fall session. Due to global inflation, the government understands that many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. Although we have been introducing measures that have helped Canadians, we must continue to do more to provide targeted support. Bill C-56 addresses what we would do to help build more rental housing and to try to curb the rise in prices we have seen in grocery stores throughout the country.
Making housing more affordable is something we must tackle, including where the federal government can influence the activities within the marketplace so all Canadians have the opportunity of owning a home. Bill C-56 puts forward legislation to encourage the construction of much-needed purpose-built rental housing. We are proposing to eliminate the GST on the construction of new apartment buildings, student housing and seniors residences across Canada. Working on housing supply is an important part of what the federal government is doing to help Canadians. For a rental unit valued at $500,000, the GST rental rebate would deliver $25,000 in tax relief to developers and builders. This tool would help create the necessary conditions to build the types of housing that we need and that families want to live in.
This legislation would also remove a restriction on the existing GST rules to ensure that public service bodies, such as universities, public colleges, hospitals, charities and certain not-for-profit organizations, could build or purchase purpose-built rental housing and be permitted to claim 100% of the enhanced GST rental rebate.
We are also calling on provinces that currently apply PST or the provincial part of the HST to rental housing to join us by matching the federal rebate for new rental housing. It is very encouraging to see that certain provinces would be participating in this program. We are also requesting that local governments put an end to exclusionary zoning, and we are encouraging them to build apartments near public transit in order to have housing accelerator fund applications approved.
Launched earlier this year, the housing accelerator fund is a $4-billion initiative designed to help cities unlock new housing supply, targeting approximately 100,000 units across the country. I look at lead times for projects, particularly in the Lower Mainland and more particularly in Surrey, and they are up to two years. To bring that down, this $4-billion bill would help cities hire more planners, inspectors and plan checkers so the process can be passed and there would be more inventory in the market. It would also support the development of complete low-carbon and climate-resilient communities that are diverse, affordable, inclusive and equitable. Every community across this country needs to build more homes faster so we can reduce the cost of housing for all Canadians.
Through the one-time grocery rebate issued in July, we delivered targeted inflation relief to 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians and the families that needed it the most. This support was welcomed by Canadians, but we know that more needs to be done to address the rising cost of groceries. This is why we are taking immediate steps to enhance competition across the economy, with a focus on the grocery sector, to help stabilize costs for Canadians.
With Bill C-56, we would also be helping Canadians by stabilizing the price of groceries. We are introducing a set of legislative amendments to the Competition Act that would ensure more effective and modern competition law to promote affordability for Canadians and help our economic growth. This bill would empower the Competition Bureau to take action against collaborations that restrain competition and consumer choice, in particular in situations where the larger grocery store chains prevent smaller competitors from establishing operations nearby. The government is taking concrete steps to help stabilize food prices and improve competition in Canada. Canadians can be assured that the government will continue to work day in and day out to bring them much-needed relief.
Bill C-56 builds on other measures that the government has introduced to make life more affordable for Canadians. We are supporting 3.5 million families annually through the tax-free Canada child benefit, including over 28,000 children in Surrey—Newton, with families this year receiving up to $7,400 per child under the age of six and $6,300 per child for children aged six to 17. We have increased old age security, have enhanced the Canada workers benefit and have also reduced fees for regulated child care by an average of 50%, moving toward $10-per-day day care by 2026. Six provinces and territories have already reached that goal. In my own province of British Columbia, the capacity has doubled on this $10-a-day day care system.
We have strengthened the social safety net that millions of Canadians depend on, and we are working on helping Canadians put food on their table, pay their rent and be successful within their respective communities. We want to ensure that Canada remains the best place in the world to live, work, go to school and raise a family. Making life more affordable is a key part of that. I urge all members of the House to support this legislation to help Canadian families.
1072 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/5/23 6:43:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the First Air-Canadian North merger was approved, as was mentioned earlier, in 2019, with terms and conditions around pricing, scheduling and employment, amongst other elements that would be in place until mid-2026.
The sudden onset of the pandemic, which drastically changed the air transportation landscape in northern Canada, has had a lasting impact on Canadian North's ability to comply with these conditions while continuing to serve communities, return to profitability and maintain services. Passenger levels in the North remain below 2019 levels and are lower than in other regions throughout the country.
The lasting impacts of COVID have required us to vary the original terms and conditions, while at the same time ensuring that important safeguards remain in place for northern Canadians for the remainder of the period subject to obligations.
In this context, Transport Canada has negotiated new terms and conditions with Canadian North, which were subsequently approved by the Governor in Council. These conditions are intended to strike a balance in ensuring the airline's continued operations and financial resiliency, while maintaining some conditions to maintain the public interest, such as imposing caps on fare increases and profit margins, as well as ensuring the balance of service. These terms and conditions will be in place for the next three years.
Furthermore, the new terms and conditions include an obligation by Canadian North to be subject to assessment by an independent monitor, reporting to the Minister of Transport, and to provide financial and scheduling data to ensure compliance with the new terms and conditions.
The Government of Canada shares concerns over air affordability and accessibility in northern Canada, which is why the Government of Canada insisted on maintaining safeguards for Canadians when deciding to vary the terms and conditions.
At the same time, we have acted to ensure that Canadians in northern communities continue to receive the air services that they rely on. It is our understanding that the merger related terms and conditions to which Canadian North is subject do not supersede the contractual obligations it has with the territories around medical and duty travel. In this context, Canadian North will need to adhere to the conditions laid out in the agreements it holds with the territories.
I will add, and the member does recognize this, that we on the transport committee are working with the member for Yukon to look at these arrangements, as well as other arrangements to, once again, strike that much-needed balance in the northern part of our country.
421 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/5/23 6:48:11 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is concerned with ensuring that northern Canadians have access to the air transport they require.
COVID-19 placed serious pressure on the ability of Canadian North to continue to provide services to northern Canadians while at the same time avoiding financial losses. To ensure ongoing service in the north, Transport Canada recently reached the agreement I spoke about earlier with Canadian North to vary their merger related terms and conditions. These aim to strike a balance between addressing public interest concerns while maintaining the sustainability of the airline.
In conclusion, the Government of Canada, in approving these new terms and conditions, ensured there remained safeguards for Canadians, especially in the north, such that each community will continue to be served and that fare increases would be representative of the new realities of the market and capped to ensure that the balance is maintained.
149 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
