Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I sat with the member on the federal finance committee for two years. At no point did he ever stand up and go against the austerity agenda of that party's leader. It is an unacceptable approach. We, on this side, do have an approach that matters. In his community in Calgary, we are working with that city council on a number of things, including the housing accelerator fund that would …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I am getting to know my colleague more and more; we work together on the HUMA committee. This is the parliamentary committee that is primarily responsible for housing, an incredibly important issue for this entire country. In her community, my community and everyone's community, housing is the main focus of discussion around kitchen tables, and rent is going up. I will acknowledge t…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, with respect to my colleague, the conversations have been happening, and we have seen concrete action. I just mentioned a project in the member's riding that has made life better for her constituents, with 164 units. Again, I emphasize that I will continue to work with her and with any colleague, and I know the minister feels the same way. He wants to see better outcomes. The nation…
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Mr. Speaker, the member talks about young people. I will give him credit: During his time being a member of Parliament, he has put issues on the table with respect to youth. He can support the government, or at least he should have, with respect to the tax-free savings account the government put in place to help young people save for a down payment. Up to $40,000 can be put into that account, whic…
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said and emphasized, the challenge of affordability with respect to housing writ large has to do with the lack of supply. When demand is high and supply is limited, we are always going to have an expensive situation. We see that with respect to housing. What this government is doing is working with municipalities to see more homes built. This morning, as I said, we saw the C…
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Mr. Speaker, our colleague is a former mayor, and he knows, therefore, that the affordability challenge Canadians face, whether it with respect to rent or the challenge of buying a home, is due to a lack of supply. This government recognizes that. That is why we have moved ahead to put incentives on the table for the private sector, for example, for builders, like lifting the GST on the constructi…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member and the NDP caucus for supporting this government to double funding in response to homelessness. We continue to work with municipalities across the country. We continue to work with not-for-profit organizations. It was this government that recognized, of course, that there is a human right to housing. In that vein, we are seeing results. There is more to do,…
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Mr. Speaker, those are quite the words from the Leader of the Opposition. I remind him that, when he was responsible for housing during the Harper years, there was $300 million spent for housing, with fewer than 100 homes built. We can do the math: That is $3 million a home. That is the record of so-called fiscal responsibility on the other side. On this side, we are getting homes built. Just this…
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Mr. Speaker, they inherited a surplus. They turned it into a deficit, another deficit and another deficit. On this side, we put constructive measures on the table like lifting GST on the building of rentals for Canadians. They talk about an attachment that they have to a vision for the country that puts the middle class front and centre. It is not true. Why are they proposing at this time, at a ti…
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Mr. Speaker, there is a bill on this floor that the Conservatives can get behind. The result, if they decide to support it, would be a more affordable situation for builders, because it would lift GST off the construction of rental apartments. They are not in favour of that. They want to tax the construction of rental apartments for the middle class. On top of that, we are putting forward measures…
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Mr. Speaker, they constantly talk about their record of fiscal responsibility. During the Stephen Harper years, they ran seven consecutive deficits. Under this government we have seen economic growth. We have seen this government go through an extremely challenging time in the pandemic. Guess what? Businesses are still there. They are finding ways to thrive as a result of the ways that we supporte…
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Mr. Speaker, if we are going to tackle the housing crisis, we have to work together and pursue agendas that are serious. This government has put forward a number of measures, for example, lifting GST on purpose-built rentals, period. That side is proposing a tax on the building of rentals for middle-class individuals and families. That construction would be taxed by that side. The Conservatives al…
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Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the Conservatives need reminders. The Harper government put $300 million toward housing. How many homes were built? There were less than 100. At a time when it is clear that the lack of supply has created a vast increase in the cost of rent, this government is moving forward to build more and help the private sector to do exactly that. Members on that side, as I just …
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Mr. Speaker, the member needs reminders, which is no problem. When the Conservatives were in office and the opposition leader was the so-called minister of housing—
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Mr. Speaker, I have been a member of Parliament since 2015. From day one, that side has pursued an austerity agenda. The Conservatives want to cut the Canada child benefit. With respect to supports for seniors, they have never been there. With respect to supports for businesses during the pandemic and since, they have never been there. We brought down taxes for small businesses not once but twice.…
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Mr. Speaker, the current government was the first government in Canadian history to recognize that there is a human right to housing. We continue to act in that vein through the national housing strategy, a strategy that has resulted in 70,000 people being taken off the street; 122,000 who were very close to being homeless are no longer in that position. Because of the vital supports they have bee…
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Mr. Speaker, last week I had the opportunity to visit Peterborough, that member's riding, where I announced $42 million for the construction or renovation of over 1,100 units of housing. What is interesting is that the member voted against every program that made that funding possible, and then she tried to take credit for it. It is astounding what the Conservatives continue to do. What Canadians …
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Mr. Speaker, I have worked with the member for a number of years now, and I do not doubt for a moment her commitment to housing. She knows, because she voted for it, that we doubled the funding for homelessness through the reaching home initiative, and Toronto has received $290 million to combat homelessness. We will continue to work with not-for-profit organizations that are on the ground doing t…
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Mr. Speaker, an example of recklessness is the Conservatives' record on housing. There was $300 million spent when they were in power on housing, and less than 100 homes were built. What is also reckless is the fact that they would abandon municipalities that want to build more homes. We have put on the table $4 billion for municipalities to assist them in building more units. The cities of London…
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Mr. Speaker, in fact, if we look at the record not just in British Columbia but also across the country, we see that the federal government has been a partner. To not-for-profit organizations that are doing the outstanding work on the ground, the result is obvious. Sixty-nine thousand people who were on the street are no longer on the street. They are housed now, quite often with the wraparound su…
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Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis, as we know, is underpinned ultimately by a crisis in supply or the lack thereof. What the government is doing is partnering with municipalities across the country. For federal dollars, municipalities have the chance to build more. In London, for example, 2,000 more units of housing will be built in exchange for a $74-million investment. What we have also done is to…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour the life of Londoner Claude Pensa, who sadly passed away recently at the age of 93. The proud son of Italian immigrants, he never forgot his roots, and his family was incredibly proud of him as a result. They are also proud of him for practising the law for 57 years, namely at the firm he co-founded, Harrison Pensa. Widely respected for his skills as a litigator, he w…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour the life of Seamus Grew, whose life was tragically cut short in July of this year after a long and courageous battle with ALS. Seamus was born in 1944 in Ireland. Although he was certainly proud of his Irish roots, he was a proud Canadian to be sure, and he made a great contribution to this country. It was here where he worked as a public servant for the City of Toron…
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Madam Speaker, we have been there for cities like Hamilton and other Canadian cities and towns through programs like Reaching Home and the rapid housing initiative, and in other ways, to help not-for-profits that are on the ground doing the very hard work. I know the member cares very much about this issue. I am happy to have further discussions with him, but I go back to the point that we are goi…
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Madam Speaker, I know the member has a passion for dealing with homelessness and addressing issues of affordability more generally. This government has put substantial investment forward through the national housing strategy to combat homelessness. It is a difficult challenge for sure, but one that we are getting results on. It is not over. That fight continues and is combined with efforts to buil…
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Madam Speaker, I find that rather rich, with all due respect to the member, when it was the Leader of the Opposition's responsibility to put forward constructive policy. When he was in government as the minister responsible for housing, he put forward a plan for $300 million, with fewer than 100 homes built. His plan on housing today is full of holes. If he taxed builders, for example, nothing wou…
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Madam Speaker, Canadians are having a difficult time. That is why during the pandemic we put forward emergency programs to sustain the economy, individuals and families, when the Conservative Party did not want to do any of those things. Today, we see a government that has put forward a plan to get more homes built. How? In partnership with provinces and municipalities. That is how we are going to…
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Madam Speaker, talking about common sense, it is a shame the member was not at yesterday's finance committee. Witnesses from the Ministry of Finance confirmed that if the Conservatives' idea for housing were to be put in place, fewer homes would be built compared to our particular plan, which is a plan that takes taxes off. The GST comes off, for example, which incents greater building. Combine th…
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Madam Speaker, I would remind my hon. colleague to look at the actual record and at the actions of the opposition leader, who this summer, while presenting himself as some sort of champion of the working class, stood in front of a Canadian's home, took a video and called that home a shack. If he is serious about dealing with affordability, the housing crisis and the supply crisis that underpins it…
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Madam Speaker, he is quite correct; that side does play games. Do people know what else they do? They also vote against tax cuts for the middle class. They also vote against child care for kids. They vote against dental care for kids. Discussions on pharmacare are happening at this time, and that side wants to entertain none of it. At a time when Canadians are facing real challenges of affordabili…
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Madam Speaker, here we go again. The contradictions just speak for themselves, but I will highlight them for members. In July 2022, we had inflation at over 8%, which is now down to 4%. It is certainly not low enough, but we see progress on that front. I also hear all sorts of ideas from the other side that would not have a tangible impact in terms of affordability. Let us take pensions, by the wa…
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Madam Speaker, I remind the hon. member that Canada has the lowest deficit and debt in the G7, but times remain hard. We see that and understand that. On housing affordability, what are we doing? The supply crisis that underpins the housing crisis facing the country is one that requires building. That is why we have lifted GST for the purposes of rental construction on apartments, and that is why …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I know this issue matters a great deal to our colleague. I would point out, however, as the Minister of Finance said earlier this week, that it is an independent decision that was reached by an independent agency.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, approximately 3,000 Canadians live with ALS. One is a constituent, Matthew Brown, who was moved when his 13-year-old son, Colin, recently organized a walk at his school. That walk is for research funds and for equipment. Colin epitomizes youth leadership in this country. At the most trying time his family has experienced, no doubt, he is on the front lines, helping his father and help…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I rise to table a petition today on behalf of constituents who are very passionate on the issues of the environment. Among other things, the petitioners call on the government to reduce emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels by 2030 and make significant contributions to emission reductions in countries in the global south. They also call for paying for the transition by increas…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague. We have worked together before on the finance committee, and he has been an excellent colleague. I would like to ask him a question. In terms of the balancing of the budget, does the Bloc Québécois believe in a balanced budget, and what would it do to get to that point if the Bloc members do indeed believe in balancing?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am lucky to be here this evening. Our colleague is pretty funny, but he talked about several very serious topics. He also talked about a very specific issue, housing. What is the Bloc Québécois's solution for addressing the homelessness problem? I am just curious. It would be interesting to hear the perspective of my colleague on that specific issue, seeing as it is the last day o…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to listen to the member speak. I know he has a good command of these issues, and he is respected for his work on the finance committee in particular. I do agree very strongly with his take on how to combat inflation, when he says that the approach should be to focus on those things that people cannot do without, such as dental care and child care. I am glad to …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be here this evening to talk about a motion that is very clear and simple, but that has many negative consequences for my community of London and our country. To begin with, what was our government's approach during the pandemic? It was a compassionate and fair approach. It is compassionate and fair. So much so, that former Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member, because when we worked together on the finance committee a number of years ago, I thought we worked very well together. I am not sure what has happened for him to take a negative tone here tonight, but I think I see his sense of humour. I know where he is coming from. I know he raises those points in good nature. I will simply offer back what is very clea…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, our government's approach is very responsible. My colleague and I disagree on this issue. What other option is there? I am not hearing any alternatives in my colleague's comments. Yes, he did raise concerns with what the government has done with respect to a number of things, namely Trans Mountain, but I would submit to him that if the government would have gone in the direction he …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is always interesting to hear from my colleague down the way in London—Fanshawe. First of all, on the specific issue she just raised, I need to see more in the way of that. We all care about housing here, and I did see her and the leader of the NDP in London raising this idea, but there is not much detail. There is precious little detail, so one cannot comment on that in any mean…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I enjoyed the speech given by my colleague, who works very hard and obviously has command of the issues, including this one. Could the member elaborate on the points raised relating to the economy? He said that not only is this good social policy, but it makes very good economic sense.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour the life of James “Jimmy” Dimitris Agathos, who unfortunately passed away recently at the age 92 after a battle with Parkinson's disease. Those who knew him knew him as a proud Greek, a proud Londoner and a proud Canadian. He immigrated to London from Greece in 1951. A few years after, he began working as a busboy at Hotel London. In 1963, he opened the Huron House Re…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, our country is an example of democracy, prosperity and freedom on the world stage. That sacrifice that has been made to secure those values was recognized this weekend in London. HMCS Prevost, an honoured naval detachment, recognized the fallen in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous battle of World War II. Over 70,000 people died on the Allied side, including over 4,000…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the minister could elaborate on the engagement and consultation that have been carried out with rural communities in general. I am thinking in particular of hunting organizations and sport shooting organizations, with engagement that has ultimately led to the bill currently under consideration, in its revised form.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have spoken on earlier occasions in the House on the respect that I have for the hon. colleague. However, he knows very well that the process of collective bargaining is instrumental in democracy. That is why the negotiations continue, and we are positive about their progress. On the extension of deadlines, I wonder if the member would follow the logic of his argument, because if th…
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Mr. Speaker, the vast majority of Canadians have been filling their taxes online, which is important to note. On a case-by-case basis, it is possible for Canadians to see interest relief and penalties alleviated. Again, I emphasize that it is on a case-by-case basis. I find it a bit rich that the member forgets the record of the Harper government, which time and time again disrespected, in particu…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join the debate tonight on the budget implementation act, BIA, as we always do around this time of year. First of all, let me simply say that budget 2023 is one that delivers for the country and for communities. We cannot talk about the BIA without talking about the budget. I will spend time tonight talking about climate change and how the government is responding …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from someone who understands his community very well. He served as a city councillor and knows what it means when an investment comes to a community and the spinoff effects that it can have. He mentioned the Dofasco case. I expect nothing but good things to come from this investment for local businesses in London that already have relied on automotive, as we …
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