Thank you, Chair.
I just wanted to put on the record why I voted against the amendment. I have a problem with the main motion, which uses language from the Conservatives to say that the immigration targets set were too high.
I'm an immigrant myself. We know immigrants and international students contribute to our country, our economy and our society. Putting the blame for the housing crisis just on students or immigrants is not fair. I think we're missing the point here. Housing....
In the provinces where we have Conservative premiers, they're not stepping up. The federal government is taking initiatives through the housing accelerator fund. In the city of Brampton, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government was providing $114 million to the city for its ambitious housing initiative. The mayor of Brampton said about the federal government, “We are thankful for the Government of Canada’s continued partnership and investment in our community”.
Mayor Patrick Brown said that to the federal government. He thanked the Minister of Housing and the Prime Minister for making the announcement to address the housing crisis in Brampton.
The federal government is doing its part, and the provinces also need step forward to address this situation. We need to work together, but putting the blame on high immigration targets is not fair.
I just wanted to put that on the record. That's why I won't be supporting the motion.
Thank you.