Mr. Speaker, recently in my riding of Vancouver East a Liberal cabinet minister came to undertake a public relations job to try to convince us, by announcing an extension of the RRAP program, that the Liberal government cares about housing in this country.
The announcement was a huge disappointment in the lowest income community in Canada and in other urban and small communities which are suffering desperately from the lack of affordable safe housing.
The extension of the RRAP program does not make up for the abandonment of the national housing program, our social housing in Canada, by the Liberal government in 1993. In B.C. alone we have lost 8,000 units since 1993 because of abandonment by the Liberal government.
People in my riding of Vancouver East, in the downtown east side and in other communities across Canada are demanding that the federal government renew its commitment and provide financial responsibility to ensure there is a housing program in Canada.