Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Home Builders' Association is on the Hill today, meeting with members of Parliament. Made up of over 8,500 companies, homebuilding represents 1.2 million jobs and $151 billion in economic activity. Together, they build what many consider to be the highest-quality housing in the world.
In Vancouver, Toronto and too many other communities, many Canadians are finding it hard to access ownership in housing and get a place they can call home. There is much to be done on affordability, and the home builders call on governments at all levels to help Canadians achieve home ownership by addressing excessive taxation, huge fees and onerous approval processes. Together, these can represent up to 40% of the price of a new home, which is passed on—