44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 15, 2024 11:00AM
- Apr/15/24 2:24:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member wants to talk about homes that do not exist. Let us talk about the 800,000 affordable housing units that were lost when he was last in government. Let us talk about the fact that when he was actually housing minister, he got zero apartments built with the support of the federal government. Let us look at the fact that across the entire country, he was able to get a total of only six affordable housing units built.
He talks a big game, but he does literally nothing for people who need to get into the housing market. We have new measures that help people who are renting now and measures that will make it easier for people to save up for a down payment and reduce their monthly mortgage costs if they want to own a home in this country.
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- Apr/15/24 2:25:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, more proof the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost is that he picked the most incompetent immigration minister in Canadian history and put him in charge of housing. This is the guy who lost track of a million people, who is blamed by his fellow cabinet colleagues for causing the housing crisis and who presides over the most expensive housing market in Canadian history.
When I was minister, the average rent was $950, and we built hundreds of thousands of units at that affordable price, so why will he not learn from our smashing success in 2015 in keeping costs low, by axing the tax and building the homes?
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- Apr/15/24 2:26:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, at the time, they expressed opposition to our plan to welcome 40,000 Afghan refugees who fought alongside the Canadian Armed Forces. They seem still to have problems with the fact that we opened our door to vulnerable Ukrainians.
However, let us actually focus on the housing issue right now. The member talks a big game about housing, but he plans to raise tax—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Apr/15/24 2:26:32 p.m.
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Order, please.
I ask members on all sides of the House to please come to order.
The hon. minister has the floor.
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- Apr/15/24 2:27:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, they get antsy when they are confronted with their actual record. Let us take a look at what he got done: only six affordable units across the entire country; he lost 800,000 more; he built zero new apartments. Now he wants to raise taxes on home building and cut funding for the communities that are getting them built.
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- Apr/15/24 2:28:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have an urgent message for anyone who still believes that we should ignore jurisdictions and let the federal government decide everything.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has proven that when the federal government interferes in housing, an exclusive jurisdiction of Quebec, Quebeckers receive only 14% of the funding, although we make up 22% of the population. The situation is even worse when the federal government chooses its own projects, such as affordable housing. In that case, we get only 6% of the money, even though we represent 22% of the population.
When the feds interfere, Quebeckers do not get their fair share, starting with the less fortunate.
Who would agree to be ripped off like that?
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- Apr/15/24 2:28:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, everyone has their own priorities.
We are talking about investing in housing, but the Bloc members are saying no, they need a referendum. We are talking about investing in our young people and our seniors. The Bloc says they need a referendum. We are talking about ensuring that kids no longer go to school hungry. The Bloc says no, and that the solution to everything is a referendum.
While they are preparing for a referendum, we are preparing for the future.
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- Apr/15/24 2:29:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense.
When the federal government meddles in Quebec's jurisdictions, Quebeckers always get shortchanged. Housing is a perfect example. We represent 22% of the population, yet we got 14% of the funds and only 6% of affordable housing.
Not only do we never receive our fair share, but the last budget is going to add insult to injury. The feds are going to impose new conditions on the additional $6 billion of our money that they are promising for housing.
Why not simply hand over Quebeckers' fair share of the housing money, no conditions attached? Can he answer that question?
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- Apr/15/24 2:30:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are working with Quebec to ensure that it receives its fair share of the housing funds.
For example, we have reached an agreement with Quebec on the housing accelerator program. We are providing $900 million in federal funds and Quebec is investing $900 million. That adds up to $1.8 billion and 8,000 affordable housing units.
We are moving forward with programs to ensure that Quebec receives support, like everywhere else in the country.
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- Apr/15/24 2:30:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, people are getting gouged at the grocery stores, and CEOs are making record profits, all because the Prime Minister kept the Conservatives' $60-billion corporate handout, and Canadians are paying the price. Loblaws made $1.2 billion because of this corporate Conservative handout. Therefore, will the Prime Minister—
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- Apr/15/24 2:31:05 p.m.
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I will ask hon. members, especially the hon. member for Miramichi—Grand Lake, to please take the floor only when they are recognized by the Speaker.
The hon. member for Burnaby South could start from the top, please.
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- Apr/15/24 2:31:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, you can tell Conservatives get really touchy when we talk about corporate Conservative handouts. People are getting gouged at the grocery stores, and CEOs are making record profits. The Conservatives are again making noise because they are upset. They want to give more corporate handouts to companies like Loblaws that are gouging Canadians and ripping people off. The Conservatives want that to happen. That is who they work for. The Conservatives' chief strategist is a Conservative lobbyist for the biggest corporation that sells groceries. Will the Prime Minister reverse these Conservative corporate handouts? Yes or no.
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- Apr/15/24 2:32:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the leader of the NDP for bringing a very important question on this file, but it seems that he is missing a part. He was with us in order to make the largest reform on competition in this country. In fact, thanks to this work and the help of the NDP and our government, we have brought in the largest reform on competition in our nation's history.
There is one thing, if he wants to help consumers. Why does he not work with us to make sure that we have a grocery code of conduct across the nation, to help consumers, to help families and to help young kids? The New Democrats can do something. We are waiting for it.
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- Apr/15/24 2:32:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we need to be clear that we have to take on the corporate greed that is driving up the price of groceries.
Galen Weston is still delighted about the last time the Conservatives were in power. Thanks to them, Loblaws paid $1.2 billion less in taxes.
This week, the Prime Minister has the opportunity to implement a tax on the grocery giants' excess profits. Will he do it, yes or no?
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- Apr/15/24 2:33:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the leader of the NDP for supporting us when we launched the biggest competition reform the country has ever seen. Canadians watching us at home know that the best way to stabilize prices in Canada is to have more competition across the country. That is exactly what we have done.
If he wants to help Canadians, families and young people, why not join us in supporting a nationwide code of conduct? On this side of the House, we will continue to work for young families, Canadians and consumers across the country.
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- Apr/15/24 2:34:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while the finance minister is off buying new budget shoes today, she should drop by a Toronto food bank, where one in 10 Torontonians are having to use their services after eight years of her government. Tomorrow's expensive photo op budget will only confirm why interest rates are staying higher for longer and why Canadians cannot afford to eat, heat and house themselves. After eight years of the current Liberal-NDP government, it is not worth the cost of housing. Will the Liberal-NDP government listen to Conservatives, cap spending and bring in a dollar-for-dollar law to bring down inflation and interest rates so Canadians do not lose their homes?
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- Apr/15/24 2:34:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, maybe the hon. member opposite needs to take a look at what was announced earlier this month and the month before, which is that inflation in Canada is below 3% for the second month in a row. We have a AAA debt rating for this country, one of the very few countries in the world to have that, and the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio.
Now while that party is all doom and gloom, we are here, working every day for Canadians on a school food program, on the Canada child benefit and on making sure that we have $10-a-day child care across the country. We are working for Canadians each and every day.
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- Apr/15/24 2:35:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with answers like that, he will make a great high-priced Liberal consultant after the next election. He is not worth the cost.
Why does he not understand this, when two million Canadians are going to a food bank in a single month and a million more projected this year, when young people cannot see the dream of home ownership and when rents and mortgages have doubled after the failed policies of the Liberal-NDP government? Why does he not get with the program, before he gets kicked out of his position, and listen to Canadians? Why do the Liberals not implement a dollar-for-dollar law and cap the spending, so Canadians do not lose their homes?
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- Apr/15/24 2:35:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that party and that member not only have no plan for housing, but the meagre plan they have actually wants to make it more expensive to build houses in this country. The Conservatives are against every single measure that we have done to make home ownership affordable for Canadians again.
That Alberta MP voted against the Air Products $1.6-billion hydrogen plant in our province and voted against the first carbon capture, use and storage net-zero cement plant in our province. Conservatives are voting against Alberta jobs. They are voting against Canadians. We are here for Albertans and Canadians each and every day.
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- Apr/15/24 2:36:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal government's Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
Emily Wheedon is a single mom who lost her home because she did not qualify for her mortgage renewal. Why? It was because of the Liberal-NDP inflationary spending, which has driven up interest rates. Now she is forced to rent. She is paying nearly $4,000 for a 600-square-foot apartment. In tomorrow's budget, we are asking for the Prime Minister to show compassion and sanity and find a dollar in savings for every new dollar spent, so Canadians can afford to keep their homes.
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