Finance Committee on Dec. 7th, 2023

[Chris Forbes]

I guess I would make a slight distinction, which is the quote.... Again, I wasn't there, so I can't confirm that this is exactly what Ms. Bowers said, but I think you're referring to a study that CMHC did about getting affordability back to 2004 levels.

I just want to distinguish between a plan to increase housing and to improve affordability—

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

I have quite a bit of ground I'm going to cover. I appreciate your response, though.

Just a few minutes ago, the minister said something I thought was curious. She said that her government eliminated the GST on all purpose-built rentals. Was that a true statement?

[Chris Forbes]

On the GST rebate, yes.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Is it on all purpose-built rentals? Is that true?

[Chris Forbes]

On purpose-built.... I'm sort of missing....

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

I'm just asking you a straightforward question. Did your government eliminate the GST on all purpose-built rentals, yes or no?

[Chris Forbes]

Going forward, yes.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Okay. Well, that's odd, because Bill C-56 doesn't provide a rebate on the building of single-family homes, duplexes or triplexes, so is the statement that she eliminated GST on all purpose-built rentals true?

[Chris Forbes]

It is on multi-units. My apologies.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

So it's not on all purpose-built rentals.

[Chris Forbes]

No, you're very accurate. It's multi-unit rentals.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Okay. I want to go on to something else in the time I have left.

On the so-called Canadian mortgage charter, in a charter a government provides a grant of rights to its citizens. Does the Canada mortgage charter do that?

[Chris Forbes]

The mortgage charter explains—

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Does it provide rights to individuals?

[Chris Forbes]

It does not provide rights. It explains what people are allowed to do—

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Then why is it called a charter?

[Chris Forbes]

It's for communication purposes. I don't think that there's a—

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

For example, the minister just said in her comments.... I was taking careful notes, and she called these “rights”. If you go back to see what she said—you were sitting right next to her—she said that they were rights.

I'm asking you this: Is it true that the Canadian mortgage charter provides Canadians with rights, or was the minister incorrect?

[Chris Forbes]

I think that Canadians have the right—a word I would have used in the common parlance—to ask certain things of their financial institutions—

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Okay, let me be more specific. Do they have a legal right?

[Chris Forbes]

I believe I've already answered that question—

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

No, I'm talking about a legal right.

[Chris Forbes]

They have rights under the guidelines of FCAC—

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Oh, well, that's good to know. The Canadian mortgage charter grants Canadian citizens rights. Is that correct? Is that your testimony?

[Chris Forbes]

Grants rights? No, I'm not sure I've said.... Have I said that? I apologize if I have said—