Housing  Madam Speaker, as the member knows, I am always happy to speak about housing and to work on that committee, so I look forward to working with the member on these issues. Of course, the specific matter she raises is a matter for the committee to take up. Speaking of that committee, the committee has also heard about challenges relating to getting homes built, specifically on things such as permitting.

Housing  Madam Speaker, I work with the hon. colleague on the House of Commons committee responsible for housing. We disagree on fundamental issues relating to housing policy, but I will say that she has the respect of our colleagues on that committee, including myself. The way she began her speech tonight shows the passion she has for her community and the job she does in the House of Commons.

Main Estimates 2024-25  Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague. Yes, I understand this approach very well. There is an agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec on this issue of housing. If we are to deal with this crisis, this challenge, we also need to be ambitious.

Main Estimates 2024-25  Mr. Speaker, this is another member I have a great amount of respect for. We have worked closely on the House of Commons committee responsible for housing. On this matter, we will simply disagree. I support Starlight's coming before the committee. I voted in favour of that just a few days ago, as the member absolutely knows.

Main Estimates 2024-25  Mr. Speaker, there is a housing crisis. It is necessary for our government, as well as every member of the House, to come up with ideas to address this crisis. Our government is working with organizations, as well as provincial and municipal governments, and that work needs to continue.

Main Estimates 2024-25  Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say that the member has contributed enormously to this discussion of housing and infrastructure, in particular with respect to her community, the challenges that we find in the north and the challenges that are experienced by indigenous peoples across the country.

Main Estimates 2024-25  Mr. Speaker, 35,000 homes on reserve have either been renovated or built anew because of actions taken by this government. Is it good enough? No, it is not good enough. However, I have worked with the member before on the public accounts committee. I do respect him and I know he takes these issues seriously.

Main Estimates 2024-25  Mr. Speaker, I did not say that in my speech. We can do much better in this country, but I would ask the member this: What would his government cut? We do not know what the Conservatives would do. They have not been very specific at all, and they probably will not be, but they have not been shy about embracing an austerity agenda, so what would they cut?

Main Estimates 2024-25  Mr. Speaker, we are debating the estimates tonight, and I want to focus my attention on housing, which finds much support in the estimates. We have a variety of federal initiatives that are given further support or created anew where they did not exist before. The first, which I think it is fair to say is the signature program of the federal government with respect to housing policy, is the housing accelerator fund.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, we say that the Conservatives do not care, and here is proof. The tax change would allow for more revenue to be directed to child care, pharmacare, dental care and measures to address the housing crisis. In fact, I direct the new member, and he is a new member, to look at the Conservatives' housing plan, which actually would tax home builders.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, the government has put in place a policy to lift GST off the construction of purpose-built rentals. The Conservatives want to maintain GST on the construction of purpose-built rentals; they will not get more apartments built that way, which is something that was verified at the House of Commons committee responsible for housing just a few days ago when the Conservatives raised this point.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the member, she talks about credibility, but she was at the House of Commons committee meeting responsible for housing when an expert from the rental sector told her that her party's position on not waiving GST for the building of purpose-built rentals was deeply irresponsible.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, we will not let that happen. The Conservatives have no vision on housing. They want to tax home builders. When it comes to working with municipalities to see more zoning changes, so we can see fourplexes, duplexes, triplexes, mid-rise apartments, all of these things built in communities, they do not want to support that either.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, the member mentions housing, mentions affordability and mentions getting people off the streets. We share those interests. Unfortunately, her voting record shows something entirely different. She should go to 651 Cambridge Avenue, in her riding of Kelowna, to see a project funded by the government, which she voted against, unfortunately.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, the member ought to know, again, that in order to deal with the housing crisis in this country, we do need to see another 3.87 million homes built in this country. That is the number of homes that need to be built to address the housing crisis. It is incumbent on the federal government, provincial governments and municipal governments to put in place measures to address that crisis.