It isn't new that the provinces have been responsible for delivering housing programs. That's been going on now for a number of years. It used to be that the federal government and the provinces had partnerships and they would both contribute. Now the delivery and the management of the existing housing is at the provincial level.
What I'm arguing is that there is a federal interest in housing and that if you let go of this powerful instrument, which can affect changes in a whole number of different areas, including shelter, you're not looking at the macroeconomic consequences of doing that.
I think it's a powerful instrument. I think the provinces ought to be involved. Cities obviously want to have a role in housing. Communities have been doing a lot in Canada, and they could probably do more in terms of delivering really effective housing. But the federal government also has a strong interest that has to be maintained.
There are no simple answers. I think the federal government would cut off its nose to spite itself if it just gave over the whole portfolio to provinces, because it would lose the ability to do a whole number of other things that are incredibly important in a competitive state.
I would argue that you have to have a provincial-federal partnership that enables you to do that. Alberta might say, for example, that they want all its housing this year to be built in Calgary because that's where the shortages are, and the federal government might say it wants to make sure that housing builds safer cities, provides housing for immigrants, and continues to makes cities more competitive. So both interests can be met but with a continuing partnership from all quarters.