Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I actually get along really well with my critic. He recently said he is looking for literature to figure out how to build housing policy. I am happy to share our national housing strategy. Not only that, but I am also happy to share the new, groundbreaking housing accelerator fund. This is about adding more housing supply and working with municipalities to make sure that we unlock mor…
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Mr. Speaker, the biggest gatekeepers to more housing supply, affordable housing, supports for renters and supports for homebuyers are the Conservatives. How do I know that? It is because every single time that we have brought sensible measures to the House to get supports for Canadian homebuyers and renters, to get supports for affordable housing for the most vulnerable and to increase supply in C…
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives are a nightmare for Canadians' goals related to accessing affordable housing, accessing home ownership and getting help with rentals. They voted against every single measure brought in the House to help Canadians with their real housing needs. We are the government that has brought back federal leadership in housing. One would think that being in opposition would educate…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that the people who are really out of touch are his colleagues, who have said that we should pull back from federal investments in housing. It is the hon. member and his colleagues who have opposed real support for first-time homebuyers. They opposed the $40,000 tax-free first-time homebuyers savings account. They opposed the ban on foreign ownership of Can…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not think my time for the answer is actually enough to articulate all of the things we have done. We have done so much to enable families to access homes: introducing the Canada housing benefit; putting together a 1% tax on vacant homes owned by non-Canadian and non-resident owners; putting together a ban on foreign owners of Canadian residential real estate; investing billions o…
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Mr. Speaker, through budget 2023, we are showing real leadership on housing. We are launching the first-time home buyer's tax-free savings account of $40,000. I am thrilled to share that financial institutions will be able to offer this to Canadians as of April 1. We are also issuing new guidelines to protect those with mortgages, as well as investing a historic amount of $4 billion in the urban, …
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Mr. Speaker, in addition to the $4-billion housing accelerator fund to speed up the construction of new housing for more Canadians, a rent-to-own program, a $500 federal top-up for Canadian renters, a $40,000 tax-free first home savings account and new guidelines for protecting Canadians with mortgages facing exceptional circumstances, budget 2023 doubles housing construction in this decade, direc…
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Mr. Speaker, I direct the hon. member to look at our national housing strategy, a record number of investments to make sure we build more affordable housing in this country, including the $4-billion recently announced housing accelerator fund to set us as a country to double housing construction and pay particular attention to affordable housing. In addition to that, we are making sure we are prot…
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Mr. Speaker, I guess when one does not have much of a housing plan, one resorts to gimmicks, buzzwords and attacks against one's fellow colleagues. What we have done from day one is focus on all Canadians in different spectrums of the housing sector. Whether it is getting people off the streets, building permanently affordable housing for those experiencing homelessness, building more deeply affor…
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Mr. Speaker, seniors are actually a priority population in the national housing strategy. We have invested billions of dollars to make sure that vulnerable groups, including seniors, have access to safe and affordable housing that meets their needs. In addition to that, seniors are eligible for the Canada housing benefit in addition to the top-up that the Conservative members of Parliament voted a…
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Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I was pleased to join the hon. member, together with the Prime Minister, to announce the launch of the housing accelerator fund, a $4-billion initiative that is meant to eradicate the roadblocks and get more housing built faster for Canadians. This will create 100,000 new units, as well as create a permanent systems change that will ensure municipalities approve more housin…
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Madam Speaker, we have introduced the Canada housing benefit to be there for Canadian renters. We have also introduced the top-up payment of $500 that is going toward almost two million Canadians to support them with the cost of rent. What did the party opposite do? Not only did it vote against that real help for Canadian renters, but it also played procedural games in the House to delay its imple…
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Madam Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member that we take the issue of supporting Canadians with rent very seriously. That is why we introduced the Canada housing benefit and have recently topped it up with a one-time payment of $500. The fact of the matter is that we have been there for Canadians, and we will continue to be there for Canadians. The hon. member should have a conversation with h…
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Mr. Speaker, it is really interesting hearing members on that side talk about supports for Canadian renters. We introduced the Canada housing benefit to help tens of thousands of Canadian renters across the country—
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Mr. Speaker, I will assure the hon. member that in his home province, the Government of Canada is delivering direct rental supports to tens of thousands of Canadian renters. In addition to that, we are introducing the housing accelerator fund, a $4-billion program that is meant to partner with municipalities to remove the barriers that prevent low housing supply. Unfortunately, members of the part…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that when the leader of the official opposition was in office, his government withdrew from social housing. It downloaded social housing to provinces and municipalities. We have brought in measures to increase housing supply and to support municipalities and regional governments to build more housing. What did they do? They voted against that. Since he has become leader, he ha…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that we have introduced supports for Canadian renters, from the Canada housing benefit to the $500 top-up that will go to almost two million Canadian renters. It is really interesting to hear rhetoric from the other side. Over the years, not only have they voted against our real supports for Canadian renters, but they have no plan. They have not produced any ho…
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Mr. Speaker, we have a plan in place to help first-time homebuyers access the dream of home ownership. We are building more supply by working with the municipalities and provinces to get more barriers out of the way and to build more housing across the housing spectrum. What do they do? They vote against all these measures. In addition to that, it has been more than year since their leader took th…
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Mr. Speaker, it is really rich to hear rhetoric coming from the other side, when they have voted against every single measure that we have put in place to help Canadian renters. When we put together the Canada housing benefit, they voted against it. When we introduced a $500 top-up payment that is going to almost two million Canadian renters, they not only voted against it, but they also played pr…
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Mr. Speaker, I will inform the hon. member that he just has to look very close around himself to see that the biggest gatekeepers are all in his caucus. They vote against every housing measure to remove barriers against more housing supply. They vote against supports for first-time homebuyers to not only build more affordable housing, but also to help them access more homes. They voted against the…
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Mr. Speaker, their party's record on housing is very clear. Not only while in government, but also while in opposition, the Conservatives have not taken the time to reflect on the importance of federal leadership and investment in housing. Their caucus has been very clear that it believes the federal government should do less on housing. We on this side of the House believe we should do more, and …
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians can see through the gimmicks and the hot air. This is the fact: When we brought real measures to help Canadian renters with the cost of rent, the Conservatives not only voted against it, they also played procedural games in the House to delay the passage of those much-needed rental supports. In addition to that, we have passed legislation to increase the housing supply to he…
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Mr. Speaker, we are a government that has introduced the groundbreaking Canada housing benefit that is delivering almost $2,500 to vulnerable renters across the country. In partnership with the members of the party opposite, we introduced a top-up to the Canada housing benefit of $500, which is going to almost two million vulnerable Canadian renters. On this side of the House, we will always have …
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Mr. Speaker, the thing we recognize is that Canadians need help. We have delivered the Canada housing benefit, which is already investing close to $2,500 on average for vulnerable renters across the country. On top of that, we introduced a one-time $500 top-up to go to almost two million renters. What did the party opposite do despite the rhetoric? Not only did it vote against it, in the fall the …
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Mr. Speaker, we believe in a “for indigenous, by indigenous”-led urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy. That is why budget 2022 included over $4 billion more to close the gap in indigenous housing. It included $300 million as an initial investment in a dedicated urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy informed by a for indigenous, by indigenous approach, and that is t…
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Mr. Speaker, I really agree with the hon. member on the importance of this $742-million fund to develop a comprehensive violence prevention strategy. This includes $420 million over five years to support the construction of a minimum 38 shelters and 50 transitional homes. We understand the urgency of this matter. CMHC has already selected 22 projects to move forward, and we expect concrete announc…
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Mr. Speaker, our record is clear. We recognize that more Canadians need to have access to safe and affordable housing. We have invested record amounts of money to make sure that we build more and faster. The fact of the matter is that the Conservatives' record is clear. That member should talk to the member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, who said that the federal government needs to do less, t…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians have the right to ask themselves why it is that every time real supports for renters come to the floor of the House, the Conservatives vote against them. They voted against the Canada housing benefit, which is delivering and investing an average of $2,500 to vulnerable renters across the country. They not only voted against the $500 one-time top-up to the Canada housing bene…
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Mr. Speaker, does the hon. member think it was smart to vote against real help for homebuyers, the first-time homebuyer incentive, $40,000 tax-free savings account for first-time homebuyers, doubling the first-time homebuyers' tax credit, introducing a once-in-a-lifetime rent-to-own program, $200 million in supports for first-time homebuyers in terms of increasing supply, and banning foreigners fr…
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Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we are focused on making sure that we provide supports to first-time homebuyers, encouraging the dream of Canadian home ownership: $40,000 in a first-time homebuyer tax-free savings account; doubling of the first-time homebuyer tax credit; introducing a $200-million rent-to-own program; and banning foreign ownership of Canadian residential real estate. Those…
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Mr. Speaker, it is very rich to hear the other side talk about affordability with respect to housing. They voted against every housing measure we brought before this House to help Canadians attain their dream of home ownership. Whether it was the $200 million rent-to-own program, the first-time homebuyer tax-free savings account of up to $40,000, the doubling of the tax credit for first-time homeb…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Bourassa for his important advocacy on this matter. As part of our government's commitment to eliminating anti-Black racism and improving social and economic outcomes in Black Canadian communities, we launched the first-ever Black-led philanthropic endowment fund. Just yesterday, I was pleased to announced that, after a fair and transparent call for…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite talked about supports for renters and renters struggling in Canada. That is precisely why we introduced the Canada housing benefit, which looks to invest an average of $2,500 for vulnerable renters across the country. In addition to that, we introduced a one-time top-up of $500 for 1.8 million vulnerable renters across the country. Not only did the Conservatives vo…
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Mr. Speaker, we are fully committed to working with indigenous people to co-develop an urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy. Through budget 2022, we are investing over $4 billion in indigenous housing through co-developing processes, including for the urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy. Some of that work is already under way. More than 41% of all the units deliv…
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Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the member opposite claims, we have made sure that we take care of Canadian renters. We are the government that introduced the Canada housing benefit, which is now real in every province and territory in Canada. It is delivering an average of $2,500 to vulnerable renters across the country. In addition to that, we introduced the $500 one-time top-up to the existing Ca…
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Mr. Speaker, will the leader of the official opposition take responsibility for voting against the housing accelerator fund, a program to build more supply and make sure we speed up processes to make sure we build more homes for Canadians? Will the leader of the official opposition take responsibility for voting against the tax-free first home savings account of up to $40,000 to enable first-time …
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Mr. Speaker, we are very aware of the importance of keeping Canadian home ownership alive. That is why we introduced measures such as investing in a scaled-up rent-to-own program in Canada, the creation of a tax-free savings account of up to $40,000 for first-time homebuyers and a two-year ban on foreign ownership of Canadian residential real estate to give more opportunities to young people. What…
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Mr. Speaker, I was with the Prime Minister on Sunday in Quebec City, and we saw that Quebeckers from all walks of life stood shoulder to shoulder with Muslim Canadians on the sombre occasion of the sixth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting. The appointment of the special representative to combat Islamophobia is a recognition of and builds on the foundation of leadership of Quebeckers an…
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Mr. Speaker, our government's position is clear. We know that Quebeckers oppose all forms of racism and hate. The special representative has already clarified her comments and apologized for the impact they had on Quebeckers. I refer the member to her statements on this matter.
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Mr. Speaker, our position is clear. We know that Quebeckers oppose any form of racism and hate. The special representative has already clarified her remarks, and I would refer the member to her statement on this matter.
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Mr. Speaker, one of the most important duties of any member of Parliament is to communicate with their riding. That is why members of Parliament are permitted to use their operating budgets to hire service providers to help them communicate with their constituents. In this case, a small business in Toronto was hired by my constituency office to offer assistance in providing communication services …
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Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the hon. member has not stated all the facts. The fact of the matter is that we are the government that introduced the Canada housing benefit, which is already delivering an average of $2,500 to vulnerable renters across the country, and it is active in all 10 provinces and three territories. The $500 top-up that the hon. member is mentioning is on top of that $2,500 av…
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Mr. Speaker, this is our plan: We are doubling funding to the reaching home strategy, from $2 billion to just under $4 billion. We are introducing the rapid housing initiative, which is on track to build 14,000 deeply affordable homes for the most vulnerable, including those experiencing homelessness. We have the introduction of the Canada housing benefit, which is helping vulnerable Canadian rent…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for her strong advocacy on housing in her community. We know how great the need is for affordable housing in various communities across the country, especially in the city of Toronto. That is why last week I was pleased to join the mayor in announcing a federal investment of $90 million to build, renovate, repair and retrofit 750 homes for indigenous pe…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a really important issue. That is why our government has prioritized investments to reduce and eventually eliminate chronic homelessness from Canada. We have doubled the federal program to combat homelessness, from $2 billion to just over $4 billion. In addition to that, we have introduced the rapid housing initiative, which has resulted in 10,250 deeply affordable homes, targ…
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Mr. Speaker, the biggest gatekeeper against municipalities building more housing supply is the leader of the official opposition because he voted against the housing accelerator fund, a fund designed precisely to invest in more housing supply. When we were talking about the first-time homebuyers' $40,000 tax-free savings account, the leader of the official opposition directed his team to vote agai…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that one of the main challenges facing the housing market is enough housing supply. We have the fastest growing population in the G7 but very little supply. That is why we introduced the housing accelerator fund, to work directly with municipalities to increase and double the new construction of housing in the country. We are also introducing a new, innovative rent-to-own prog…
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Mr. Speaker, of course the hon. member is entitled to his opinions, but he is not entitled to the facts. The fact is that the Conservatives cut $390 million from CBSA, further weakening our borders. In addition, the Conservatives are comfortable with attacking Bill C-5, which comes from the first government to tackle the issue of the massive overrepresentation of indigenous and Black Canadian peop…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his strong advocacy on this issue. Since coming into office, we have had historic investments to create and repair over 440,000 homes across the country. We are not stopping there. Earlier this month, I launched the third round of the rapid housing initiative, which will ensure an additional 4,500 deeply affordable homes for the most vulnerable acro…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his strong advocacy on this really important issue. We understand, as a government, that Canadians are facing more pressures when it comes to paying the rent. That is why we introduced legislation to provide a top-up of $500 through the Canada housing benefit, a top-up that will help 1.8 million Canadian renters pay their rent. I am pleased to share…
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