SoVote

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)

Feb/1/24 2:30:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every day, we are going to do our work to make life more affordable for Canadians, including addressing the issue of food prices in our country. Of course, members will recall the introduction of the grocery rebate recently, but we are also putting forward new measures to strengthen our competition laws and are launching recruitment efforts to bring more international grocery chains into Canada, which will create competition in the market place, creating better prices for families. We are going to continue to do what we can to help people who are struggling, including implementing reforms that will help address the cost of food.

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Context: House Hansard - 273 - Feb/1/24

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)

Feb/1/24 2:32:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, families in my community do raise the cost of food as a very real concern. That is why we put forward measures like the grocery rebate. That is why we are introducing new reforms that will increase competition. If the Conservatives would like to help, there is something the opposition leader can do. He can pick up the phone. As I am sure he knows, his chief adviser, Jenni Byrne, is actually a registered lobbyist for Loblaws in Ontario. Before the Conservatives sling arrows at this side of the House, I would invite the opposition leader to do what we all know is one of his favourite things: take a look in the mirror.

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Context: House Hansard - 273 - Feb/1/24

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)

Feb/1/24 2:34:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am sure members will agree with me that it is hard to accept criticism from Conservatives when the person responsible for running their campaign is getting paid on the side to lobby to government Loblaws, the giant grocery chain, which is causing families to pay so much more for groceries than they were previously. On this side of the House, we are going to put measures on the table that are going to help families put food on the table. The Conservatives will align themselves with big grocery chains. We are going to do everything we can to make life more affordable.

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Context: House Hansard - 273 - Feb/1/24

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)

Feb/1/24 2:50:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank my hon. colleague for her advocacy for vulnerable people who are struggling with the cost of finding a place to live. The fact that people are in dire need of housing is why we have significantly increased the pace of introducing policies to build more homes in this country. We have removed taxes from new apartment construction so more apartments will be built, committed an additional $1 billion through the affordable housing fund to get more affordable homes built for low-income families and put federal money on the table to incentivize cities to change their ways, to increase their ambition and to speed up the process of homebuilding. We are going to continue to do what it takes to end the national housing crisis.

130 words

Context: House Hansard - 273 - Feb/1/24

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)

Feb/1/24 2:51:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his advocacy. We are committed to building more homes, including affordable housing for low-income families. In fact, in the member's own community, a Métis-led project is going ahead that will provide affordable homes for community residents and support for women and children fleeing violence. We have increased funding for co-operative housing for the first time in decades, with a program to be launched soon that is backed by $1.5 billion. We have increased funding for affordable housing in the recent fall economic statement, with an additional $1 billion. We have constructed or renovated hundreds of thousands of affordable housing units. We care about the most vulnerable and know that they deserve to have a roof over their heads.

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