Thank you very much, Mr. Lobb.
That's an excellent question, and I think it points to the fact that on important issues like housing, in our wonderfully complex and often frustrating federal system, different levels of government have different responsibilities.
One of the most important things is to line up all the governments and get them working in the same direction. Otherwise we'll have the situation, as has happened all too often in various parts of the country, where the federal government, or sometimes the province, will provide funding for an affordable housing project only to have the municipality, through its local planning and zoning powers, refuse to allow that project to move forward. That has happened in Charlottetown, it has happened in several places in Ontario, and it has happened in other parts of the country. So we do need to line everyone up.
If I may say, Mr. Lobb, one of the important mechanisms for that happening are the federal-provincial-territorial housing ministers meetings. The last meeting, which all the provinces, territories, and the federal government attended, was in September 2005, which in terms of the current recession is eons ago. At that meeting the federal, provincial, and territorial governments all agreed on a framework to move forward on a new national housing plan. Unfortunately, however, the federal government has refused to attend future meetings. There was one in February 2008, in which the federal minister of the day, in polite words, declined to participate. Another one is scheduled for August 20 of this year in St. John's, Newfoundland. The provinces and territories will be there. They've issued an invitation to the federal government to attend. They've also invited municipalities and a number of other housing expert groups. So we have an opportunity on August 20. Unfortunately, the federal minister, at this point again, has not confirmed her participation.
We think the way to solve the problem is just as you've explained, which is to get everyone pulling in the same direction. And to do that, getting everyone in the same room would be a good start.