Evidence of meeting #113 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was quebec.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
July 1 is chaotic in Montreal because most Quebecers move on that day.
According to organizations that work in housing, they expect a 15% increase in relocation assistance requests on July 1 this year. More than 1,000 people will have to find a new home. According to these organizations, “it’s a disaster waiting to happen” and “we’re currently heading into the worst July 1 of our entire lives”.
After nine years, your government has failed. When it comes to housing, you have failed every step of the way. Furthermore, you aren’t even able to tell us that you know why July 1 is such an important date.
Mr. Fraser, how many housing units did your housing construction accelerator fund actually build? How many housing units will be available to Quebecers on July 1 of this year?
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
As you know full well, the process for building homes and housing units takes a few months. It can take more than a year for the biggest buildings. However, that’s not the only program in place to support housing construction.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
I will ask you a simple question.
The Liberal government has been in power for nine years, and we’re about to see the most chaotic July 1 ever experienced in Montreal.
How many housing units will be available for people who are outlining real plans for suicide, who are living in despair, who don’t see a solution and who want to end it all because they don’t see any housing available for them on July 1?
How many housing units have you built for those people?
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
I don’t have the number of housing units for Quebec right in front of me. Throughout the country, there are about 500,000—
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
The question was on the number. But if you don’t have the number—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
There's a problem. One speaker at a time, and direct the questions through me as chair.
Mr. Fraser, you can—
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Chair, I give the remainder of my time to Ms. Gray. I didn’t get an answer.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
I'll give the minister a chance to respond. Then I'll go to Ms. Gray.
Minister, please go ahead.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
We supported the construction of nearly 500,000 housing units throughout the country. I will send you an email on the details for Quebec.
There’s also a lot of opportunities for the future.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Mr. Berthold.
Ms. Gray, you have one minute, one question.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Minister, the federal housing advocate told CBC News on February 14 that homelessness encampments represent “a physical manifestation of exactly how broken our housing and homelessness system is from coast to coast to coast in Canada”.
Would you agree that encampments show how broken our housing and homelessness system is in Canada under your government?
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
A number of different factors go into challenges around homelessness. What I find curious consistently is that all of the questions I'm receiving from my Conservative colleagues are about subjects where they don't have any proposals—
Conservative
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
You're diverting. You're not actually answering my question—
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
There is not a single policy that the Conservatives have put forward.
Conservative
Liberal
Peter Fragiskatos Liberal London North Centre, ON
I have a point of order, Chair.
We just want to hear the responses. We're hearing the question. The responses matter as much.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you.
Ms. Gray, I'll ask you to wind up with your last question and I'll give the minister the chance to respond. Then we will go to Mr. Morrice.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Minister, you haven't shown any results even in your own home province. It was reported that in Halifax, homeless encampments are at double capacity. The City of Halifax is now looking for more land to build more encampments.
I'll ask you again. You've been in government for nine years. There are 16 months until the next election. By what month will Canadians see fewer homeless encampments in our communities?
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
I think it will depend on the specific community. I expect that we'll see serious progress in the near future, because we're putting serious resources on the table. There is more money going towards addressing very serious challenges in Halifax to address encampments specifically, in fact. There is more money being put towards building more affordable housing, not just in Halifax but in Kelowna as well, as you would know.