Evidence of meeting #79 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 going.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
One of your government's main signature pieces to address the housing crisis, which you've now acknowledged, has pushed the dream of home ownership out of the reach of so many Canadians over the last eight years. It was the housing accelerator fund. This program was announced two years ago with $4 billion of taxpayers' money behind it.
In that time, can you tell the committee how many homes have been completed thanks to the housing accelerator fund? Just give us the number, please.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
Look, I know this line of questioning is designed to try to set a trap, because you and I both know that the fund is now rolling out with investments that are changing the way cities build homes. It was announced as part of the 2021 campaign and budgeted for last year. It's now changing the way, but it's only now starting to have an impact.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
This is a two-year-old announcement. It's been two years—
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
It was a two-year-old campaign commitment. It was implemented in last year's budget. It started rolling out two weeks ago.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
You've had two years.
If you know the line of questioning, you should know the answer. How many homes have been completed?
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
I reject entirely the false pretense that underlies your question, because this is going to fundamentally change the way cities—
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
This is not a trick. It's not a trick question to ask how many results have come out of a government program. In fact, in your opening comments, you said we can't just throw ideas against the wall, and then you went on to say you have to measure results and maximize output.
This is a two-year-old announcement involving $4 billion of taxpayers' money. Just tell us the answer. Is it warmer or colder? Is it—
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
It's fine. He hasn't answered it. I'd like to know the number. It's a two-year-old announcement involving $4 billion of taxpayers' money. How many completions have there been?
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
The housing accelerator fund doesn't directly build homes. It changes the way cities build homes, and then builders in those cities build homes. Right now, we expect this is going to have an impact of thousands of new homes for Canadians, but since the fund started rolling out only two weeks ago, it's only now starting to change those ways. It's going to play out over the next few years.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
I'm sorry but we're going to measure this from when the government announced it, which was two years ago and $4 billion. Tell us the number.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
For the clarity of people who might be watching this at home, the way policies are implemented is that, after you campaign on them, you budget for them, and then you implement them after the fact. This is a two-week-old program in terms of our rolling it out.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
Canadians who have been forced out of their homes and are living in their cars, students who have to live in tents and families who have to share one-bedroom apartments with other families don't have time, Minister. You announced this program two years ago. The question was very simple. How many homes have been completed with this $4-billion program? Tell us the number.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
Mr. Chair, I would encourage my colleague to drop the feigned outrage. He had almost a decade in government when he did absolutely nothing to build more homes in this country—
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
Let's talk about a decade ago. Let's talk about eight years ago.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS
We have done more in the past two weeks than his government did in 10 years in government. If he wants to be cute with the way he answers questions for a Facebook clip, go right ahead. I'm going to focus on building homes for Canadians.
