Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to the motions presented by my hon. colleagues from Cape Breton and Kelowna pertaining to Bill C-66, an act to amend the National Housing Act and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Act.
My hon. colleague from Cape Breton has presented amendments to Bill C-66 that would reduce her own constituents' access to renovations and home ownership assistance programs. I can only presume she does fully understand the implications of her suggested amendments. On some of the comments she just made I would like to address a few at the end of my speech.
Few regions in the country have benefited more from the residential rehabilitation assistance program than Cape Breton has. Yet the member from the region is proposing amendments that would prevent CMHC from ensuring that this vital program is as responsive as possible to the needs of Cape Bretoners and to all Canadians. I do not understand her position.
As they stand, CMHC's renovation assistance programs are in a straitjacket. They need to be able to respond more effectively to the needs of the very Canadians for whom these programs are intended, low income Canadians who need to make repairs to their homes to bring them up to minimum health and safety standards.
Would the hon. member from Cape Breton deny this to her constituents? I would like to think not. Yet the changes she is proposing would do exactly that. They would seriously undermine the government's ability to modernize its provision of services to its clients.
The member from Cape Breton is proposing changes that would effectively entrench the administrative red tape that hampers the CMHC from offering improved forms of assistance that Canadians, and Cape Bretoners in particular, need and they need it now. They would also prevent CMHC from working co-operatively and effectively with the other provinces. Again, what would be the motivation behind such a proposal?
In the same fashion, the member's proposed changes would prevent the CMHC from introducing measures to make home ownership more affordable for all Canadians.
I must conclude that the member does not fully understand the consequences of her suggested changes. There would be consequences, serious consequences for many Canadians, Cape Bretoners included, who would not be able to gain access to decent, affordable, safe housing for themselves and for their families. The government has no intention of denying such important benefits to Canadians. Bill C-66 is intended to ensure that the CMHC has the ability to continue to provide renovation and home ownership assistance to Canadians who are in need.
I would also like to comment on the suggested changes to the bill which were made by my colleague from Kelowna, which he brought forward in committee. What the hon. member is proposing would impede the government's ability to create jobs for Canadians through export promotion. My hon. colleague has proposed that Bill C-66 be amended to restrict CMHC's ability to carry out its export promotion mandate.
I cannot agree with this amendment either because it would seriously jeopardize the government's job creation efforts. The expansion of CMHC's export promotion activities is a fundamental element of the government's ability to create jobs for Canadians in Canada. We all know that export plays a key role in the development of our economy. CMHC's export promotion role works to strengthen our economy.
The CMHC must have the mechanisms it needs to continue to help the Canadian housing industry to take advantage of international trade opportunities. Several members opposite have taken advantage of going on some of these missions and have seen how successful they have been.
Bill C-66, as presented by the government, will enable the CMHC to continue to lead the way in housing export trade promotion and to better promote Canadian housing products and services abroad. This activity will result in job opportunities for Canadians here and for our trade partners abroad. Canada's housing industry has excellent prospects of expanding its exports of housing systems, technologies, products and services, while contributing to the federal objectives of job creation and economic growth.
This legislation will ensure that Canadian entrepreneurs will be able to use the CMHC for marketing support for projects overseas and access CMHC's 55 years of expertise in the housing industry. The CMHC will also be able to help Canadians sell their expertise to foreign countries. This will open the door to further opportunities for Canadian entrepreneurs.
The CMHC has a good track record in helping the industry achieve success in export markets. Last September a group of over 30 companies, provincial governments and industry representatives travelled to Chile with the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, who is also responsible for the CMHC, to take part in one of the biggest trade shows in South America. We expect that within one year following that mission these exporters will generate over $35 million in new business. This will have a major impact on job growth in Canada. I might add that the delegation to Chile also included the member for Kelowna, who now proposes to limit CMHC's ability to undertake such important export promotion functions such as organizing and leading trade missions to foreign countries. What are we to make of this?
The CMHC has also recently returned from a trade mission to Poland and is developing with the housing industry other trade missions to Korea, Germany, Japan and others later this year. Given the significant impact of export on the domestic economy it is obvious the CMHC must be able to continue to support the housing industry in its efforts to improve its export capabilities.
While I thank the hon. members for their interest in the bill, I believe that Bill C-66, as it stands, is the best possible solution to ensure that the Government of Canada, through the CMHC, has the ability to provide appropriate, essential renovation and home ownership assistance to Canadians, to generate economic growth and job creation in Canada, and to ensure that Canadians remain among the best housed people in the world.
I would also like to add that the whole discussion this afternoon seems to be revolving around homelessness. That is not the subject of this bill. This bill is about the renovation of the National Housing Act.
The other thing I find quite fascinating is that the CMHC has been in existence for 55 years. It has been there to help the Canadian public and it has a fabulous track record. I do not understand why members of the opposition assume that there is some sinister plan afoot in this bill to actually do some harm to Canadians.
I also find it interesting that the hon. member who spoke previously talked about accountability to citizens and then went forward to object to the board of directors having a reduced number of bureaucrats and more individuals from every walk of life in Canada.
Rent controls, which were also mentioned by the hon. member who spoke previously, are under provincial jurisdiction. If one reads the bill carefully, all interests that the CMHC has in partnerships with the private sector and provincial governments also give it the ability to supervise such things as rent increases.
I believe that the bill, as it stands, is in perfect shape. It is upgrading old legislation that has to come into the 21st century. It is here for the Canadian public. It is an excellent bill and it requires no amendment.