Senator Plett: In 2019, the Trudeau government ended the previous federal surplus property program and, instead, created its own Federal Lands Initiative. The website for the Federal Lands Initiative says it’s “. . . a $200-million fund that supports the transfer of surplus federal lands and buildings to eligible proponents” at discounted cost or even at no cost to be developed for use as affordable housing.

If you were to look at this website right now, Senator Gold, you would see that it says in big, bold letters, “There are currently no properties available.”

Leader, how is that possible? The CBC alone owns over $400 million worth of property. How can a $200-million fund not find even one federal property to be turned into housing?