Oral questions
Mr. Speaker, the government is very focused on affordable housing, in particular, non-market rental housing. We are starting with $1 billion that, with the support of the House on the budget, we can dedicate to transitional supportive housing for people who are homeless or people who are in shelters. If we get them into transitional homes and supports, they can move into permanent housing. We are …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, the member opposite connected the dots between housing costs and food costs. That is why the government is so laser-focused on affordable housing. We are seeing action on this. We are seeing progress to date. We have seen average rents come down across Canada. We are seeing mortgage rates coming down. We are seeing home prices coming down to make life more affordable. We are cu…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition seems to flat out ignore the fact that the government is focused on affordability. We are focused on affordable housing, which reports outline is a critical driver for affordable food. We are taking action. Look at the trajectory we are on right now. Mortgage rates are coming down and average rents are coming down, according to the Parliamentary budget off…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians urgently need more affordable housing, and Build Canada Homes is set to deliver that. We just announced, last week, the first Build Canada Homes project at Arbo Downsview, which is for 550 new homes. This project is a perfect example of how we are making real progress using innovative construction materials, prioritizing Canadian materials to build faster and smarter…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will restate the facts. Under the previous Conservative government, housing was completely ignored for a decade. The reinvestment has been building up, and we are taking it to the next level with a $13-billion investment in affordable housing for Canada. That includes $1 billion to focus on homelessness and supportive housing in ridings across the country where people cannot access …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again the facts speak for themselves. We are seeing housing starts surge in Montreal, where there was a 32% increase this past month. We are seeing it in Vancouver as well. We are seeing housing starts increase in many jurisdictions across the country. We as a new government are doubling down to make sure we are supporting builders. We are working with provinces, territories and mayor…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have news for the member opposite. He needs to check his facts. Housing starts were up in August 2025. They are up 10% over August 2024, so Canadians are building, the interest rate is dropping and the government is committed to the most aggressive affordable housing program in our history. We will see housing being built in the tens of thousands that is below-market and accessible …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I know it is only the second week back, but the Conservatives are already getting the math wrong, and we need to set it straight. “Build Canada homes” will have $13 billion to invest in affordable housing across the country. We have a number of projects to launch, with 4,000 homes in six cities across the country, 700 homes in Nunavut, as I mentioned earlier, and $1 billion for suppor…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, to the member opposite, that is exactly why this government is committed to the most aggressive affordable housing program in our history. We need to focus on affordability. Canadians have spoken. Canadians have elected this government to deliver on affordability, with a tax cut and a focus on affordable housing. We are seeing right out of the gate that we have “build Canada homes” fo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member opposite's giving me the opportunity to talk about an unprecedented $1-billion investment in supportive housing for people who are homeless or in shelters, so they can move into transitional housing, supported by health supports. We have an unprecedented investment ahead of us to make sure people can move from shelters into housing. We expect the members opposi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, I do not know why this is so confusing for the members opposite. This is a BC Ferries procurement. BC Ferries makes decisions about where it buys its ships. That decision rests with those at BC Ferries. We can do our part to invest in Canadian jobs and Canadian workers. We are focused on a buy Canada strategy, and we will deliver for Canadian workers.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the opposition is twisting the facts around here. This is a BC Ferries procurement. These ferries were procured by BC Ferries, which is part of B.C. It is important to distinguish between levels of government and arm's length from government with respect to the independent decisions that were made by BC Ferries. Of course, we are all disappointed with the decision because we want to i…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, like many of us in the House I was disappointed, as a British Columbian, to learn that BC Ferries had procured the ferries from offshore. The reality was that there were no Canadian bids on that procurement. That is something this side of the House is taking action on, first and foremost making sure we are supporting Canadian workers, Canadian materials and Canadian technologies. We a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will just remind the members opposite that we are focused on building affordable housing at a scale never seen before, certainly not by Conservative governments, which vacated the field on affordable housing for their decade in power. That set us back enormously. We are now building back. We are looking forward. We are going to employ Canadians in building affordable housing at a sc…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, once again we hear the Conservatives trashing local officials and government. It is unbelievable. They are talking about mayors, they are talking about councillors and they are talking about public servants, rather than looking at themselves. Many of us who have served at the local level have dealt with Conservative governments that did nothing for affordable housing and did nothing t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives seem a little confused, so let me help here. First, the projects that we announced were just the start. Second, they can support up to 45,000 new affordable homes. Third, we have many more projects on the way. This is not the first time the Conservatives have gotten the numbers wrong, so I would like to invite them to take a moment and rework their talking points. We…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Madawaska—Restigouche for his question. Our government recently launched “build Canada homes”, a new agency to address the housing crisis. This new agency will focus on the rapid construction of affordable housing on a large scale across the country. It is time to build.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, $13 billion will be invested across Canada, in communities across Canada. We are looking at partnerships with provinces, territories, communities of all shapes and sizes, and indigenous nations. We will empower the private sector to build tens of thousands of homes. We are looking forward to rolling out the most aggressive housing program in Canadian history. We look forward to…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, while I know it is difficult for the Conservatives to evolve and focus on supporting us to build affordable housing across Canada, that is what we are focused on doing at an unprecedented level. When I was mayor, I had no support from a Conservative government to build affordable housing in Vancouver. I know it was the same in Toronto. We are going to support our local governments. We…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I know the math is difficult for the Conservatives, but we can help them with this. We are looking at investing $13 billion in affordable housing across the country. The initial 4,000 homes will be on Canada Lands Company land in six cities across the country. That is getting a quick start on building affordable homes. We are going to see tens of thousands of homes built across Canada…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, while I know we are all in this House concerned about the price of food, and we are also concerned about our farmers, the number one cost of living in Canada is related to housing. As I mentioned yesterday, people are concerned about housing prices. This government is taking action to make housing more affordable. With “build Canada homes”, with tax cuts, with the first-time homebuyer…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Carleton for the focus today on affordable housing. I know the member for Carleton is very concerned about making sure it is green and sustainable housing, and we will certainly focus on ensuring that energy costs are low and that there are resilient homes that get us through the challenges ahead with climate change. We will make sure they are affordable, first …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will once again take this opportunity to let the opposition members know “build Canada homes” is up and running as a one-stop shop to build affordable housing in Canada. We are going to deliver like never before. We are going to ensure that, particularly for Canadians who are on low incomes, there is a billion dollars dedicated to transitional supportive housing for those who are ho…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and the Conservatives may not believe in investing in affordable housing, but this government does. This government is making an unprecedented investment in building affordable housing, in partnership with the private sector and in partnership with cities, provinces, territories and indigenous nations. We are going to deliver with our partners like never before.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government focuses on building affordable housing with our partners. This is an unprecedented investment, alongside a cut to the GST for first-time homebuyers, which we are rolling out. We are focused on delivering solutions and on delivering housing in the communities that need it the most. That investment was never seen from Conservative governments, certainly not in the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I think I speak for all members of the House when I say that we are disappointed that BC Ferries made the procurement decision that it made. It is really unfortunate that no Canadian companies bid on the contract with BC Ferries. That is something that we have to all rectify, and we have to change that by buying Canadian. I agree with the member opposite. On this side of the House, we…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as far as promises delivered goes, the government promised to launch “build Canada homes” and make the largest investment in affordable housing in Canadian history. We are taking action where it matters most, and Canadians need support on affordable housing. Across the board we need more support, but starting with housing, housing first, particularly for those on low income and those …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, we will come back to the number one cost and concern for Canadians, which is affordability of housing. I know the Conservatives and the members opposite do not care about affordable housing. We are here to take action on it and make life more affordable for Canadians, starting with their home.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the number one cost for Canadians is their housing, and the Liberals have taken action to make housing more affordable. Yesterday, the Prime Minister and I announced the launch of “build Canada homes”, which will be a one-stop shop for making housing more affordable across Canada. We are launching that on six pieces of Canada Lands Company land. That is 4,000 homes that we will start …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to share that a significant commitment of $13 billion will be invested in housing and will leverage private investment as well. We are working with private capital, builders, and communities across Canada to make sure we are building the affordable housing that Canadians need, particularly young Canadians who cannot afford to get into the market. Those 4,000 units are the f…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a) concerning the Housing Accelerator Fund, the total funding allocated to the City of Calgary amounts to $251,309,276. The City was allocated an additional $22,843,000 during the annual review process. Additional funding was awarded to the fastest growing communities that submitted new initiatives through the annual review process and met action plan commitments and u…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are laser-focused on doubling housing construction across Canada. I am encouraged to hear the members' opposite new-found concerns about housing construction and affordability, particularly given that they voted against every significant housing program in the last few decades. Our hope now is that they will support us to double construction and vote for affordable housing in Canad…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will caution the member opposite. He is leaving out all of the Canadian communities that are increasing their housing starts right now. Housing starts across Canada are near record levels. That is good news to celebrate, but it is just a start for us. Canadians elected the party that was running to double housing construction in Canada. We hope you will support us on that.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are well aware of the challenges Canadians have with housing affordability. That is why they elected us to represent them and drive the pace of housing construction in Canada. That is what we will do. That is what we will deliver. We have already delivered on the GST break for first-time homebuyers. We are going to take it further and faster.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the member needs to check the facts. The housing starts across Canada are up to almost 280,000 pace this year, which is almost at a record level. We have been building at a strong pace this year and last. We are seeing unprecedented levels of rental housing being constructed for the first time in decades. The government is delivering, and we will take it further. We will double the ra…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected this new government to double construction and to make it more affordable across the country, and that is what we are going to deliver. We are focused on delivering tax breaks on GST and income tax. We are focused on lowering development costs. We are focused on delivering for Canadians with respect to affordability across housing, and we expect the members opposite …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the good news is that housing starts across Canada are up this year to almost record levels. We are seeing challenges in Ontario, and we are working with our partners in Ontario to turn that around. Across Canada, we are building, and we are going to build more.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr Speaker, Canadians made a very clear choice in April to elect a government that is focused on delivering housing, and we will do that. The housing accelerator fund has been extraordinarily well supported by over 200 communities across Canada. If the members opposite do not believe in the program, they can talk to their mayors and councillors and continue to throw them under the bus. This govern…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as the member states, there are challenges in Ontario, and we are working with our partners in Ontario to turn that around. Across Canada, housing starts are up this year. Housing starts are at near record levels. Having almost 280,000 starts this year is the trajectory we are on. We need to build on that. We are shooting for 500,000 units, and we are going to work with our partners p…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to speak strongly in support of the housing accelerator program, which has over 200 agreements with communities across Canada. The members opposite can keep criticizing and insulting their city councils and mayors, but they are going to deliver on this housing. Month-to-month statistics fluctuate, but overall we are seeing housing starts up this year, which is great, and we are…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will direct the member opposite to talk with the Kelowna mayor and council about what they think about the housing accelerator program, which hundreds of mayors and councils across the country have asked their own members of Parliament on the Conservative side to support, because they want this program. They want support to scale the housing they build in their communities, and we w…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite will know, there are monthly fluctuations to the housing starts across Canada, and there is really good news in the CMHC report. We are on an annual pace of almost 280,000 housing starts this year, which is almost a record, and we will not stop there. We are focused on doubling housing starts in this country over the next decade, and we will stick to that goal.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that we have challenges with housing across the country on affordability. The good news is that we are seeing near-record-level housing starts this year. Members can cherry-pick month-to-month stats. This year, 280,000 starts is the pace we are on right now, and we need to go farther and faster. That is why we are delivering on development cost charge reductions that…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Well, Mr. Speaker, I hope the member opposite is supportive of the work we are doing here to give first-time homebuyers, young Canadians, an opportunity, discounting their purchase price by up to $50,000 in GST relief. It is a significant effort, along with the tax cut for 22 million Canadians that makes life more affordable and enables them to access housing, and we will not stop there.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will caution the member on using inaccurate facts. I will be following all the rules even before they are required, and these are some of the rules that the Conservatives themselves brought in under former prime minister Harper. Liberals will work with the office of the Ethics Commissioner to ensure transparency, and I will continue to demonstrate integrity in my role as minister. M…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, the price of housing is set by the market. What we need to focus on as a government in Canada is affordability and making sure there is a supply of affordable homes.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I am not sure what the phrase “the cost of government” indicates, but development cost charges need to be covered for the housing infrastructure, and how that is split between governments—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I used to farm very close to Abbotsford, so I am keenly aware of the challenges in the Fraser Valley and the disasters that have affected the region.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, first and foremost, governments need to invest in the housing infrastructure, and local governments typically make that investment and recover the cost through development charges. This government is looking at helping those—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I understood the member's question to be whether rural areas are served by this program. That is correct.
Read full speech →