Mr. Speaker, one week ago, on February 13, I had the opportunity in the House to ask the Minister of Public Works and Government Services a question on the issue of co-op housing in Canada.
The question flowed from a number of concerns that have been brought to my attention as the member of Parliament for London-Middlesex.
Before directing these comments to my colleague, the parliamentary secretary, I would like to refresh members' minds because I think they all have had representations made to them that there are three primary concerns of people who live in co-op housing now.
First is the maintenance of national standards. Quite frankly, people in Ontario have a very real concern that where there is a right wing slashing type of government in power, as they feel the current government is, such a government cannot be relied on without definitive national standards to protect co-op housing as it currently exists.
They have a very real fear that the government will put it on chopping block one way or another, either by passing it on to the municipalities or simply by refusing to protect current arrangements.
Second is the whole issue of the protection of current agreements which exist for people living in co-op housing, particularly the protection of current mortgage agreements.
Third is the necessity for full public consultation between the federal government, the people who live in co-op housing and their spokespeople across the country.
A option has been put forward by these people that they would like the opportunity to run co-op housing themselves in co-operation with the federal government, which they have much more trust in, as was expressed to me, than they have in certain provincial governments in the country.
I wonder if the parliamentary secretary could elaborate on the assurances that the minister gave me. I will quote part of her answer very briefly: "As a condition, before provinces get to sign an agreement, they will have to agree to respect national principles".
My question on that point to the parliamentary secretary is how would we insist that these national principles be enforced. If governments refused to live up to them, what then would be the course of the federal government?
The minister went on to say: "More important, they will have to adhere to a strict accountability framework in order to ensure that those dollars continue to be spent to help those in need of housing".
I wonder if the parliamentary secretary might elaborate on exactly what strict accountability the minister had in mind when she gave that answer.