Evidence of meeting #118 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
So you don't know how much is going to be directed toward the $65 million. How much have you actually offered on the table to the provinces to purchase buildings for the purposes of asylum seekers?
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
As I said, the national housing strategy, which was tripled in size in the budget in our first year, is there for just that. It's there to address pressures on the emergency housing system and create systemic responses to underserved populations. Those dollars are flowing immediately—
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
You have a situation that's going on at this moment. How much of the dollars is being offered on the table to the provinces—
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
Provinces and cities have choices to make about the federal resources.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
—to work with them to purchase a building for the asylum seekers, as opposed to dumping that money into hotels?
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
If the city would rather purchase buildings than rent buildings, it is their choice to make. The flexibility for a program to do that is in place right now.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
We have, as a down payment, the first $50 million, which was an initial emergency response with a commitment to sit down and fulfill it based on a per capita read of where they are—
NDP
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
As an initial installment with more installments to follow.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
When we sit down with the province and work out a system where each municipality is measured, because we can't just respond to one city at a time.
NDP
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
I can assure you that the commitment that has been made to the mayor, with all ministers involved in this file, is to sit down and continue to work with them—
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
I am not attending that meeting and couldn't give you the exact date, but we have made a commitment with the mayor's office. I've been speaking with city councillors on a daily basis in the City of Toronto about the shelter system. The commitment is to sit down once we get the data, once we understand what the triage system across the province looks like, once we understand the redistribution of the pressure points, to address all provincial needs and all of the—
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Vaughan, you're here at this committee answering questions, but you don't know when the next meeting is going to be, and you don't know what the plan is.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Then why are you even here answering questions if you don't know what the plan is?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
Thank you, Ms. Kwan.
We'll go to Mr. Anandasangaree now. You are apparently sharing time.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Yes, thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Vaughan, for being here.
I'm actually a bit stunned right now, Mr. Chair, by the tone of this conversation. My impression was that we were going to have discussions with relevant ministries with respect to their response, but sadly we are not extending the respect that's required to our officials. I want to apologize for the tone and tenor of what's happening today.
As an MP for Scarborough, I know we've had several.... Mr. Chair, if I may, I'd like to continue without interruption from the opposition.
Liberal
Liberal