Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, we said that just recently, and we have repeated it. What I could add now is that a new Canada housing benefit has been in place for a year, and it has helped 300,000 Canadians pay their rent.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, 1.8 million new homes are needed in this country. The 100,000 and 30,000 numbers he is talking about solve a symptom, but they do not solve the real problem. Housing supply is the lowest in the G7 and housing prices are the highest in the G7. There is a 5.2% drop in home builds and a 20% rise in house prices.

Does the minister not see that his plan is not working?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, another number to add to all of the other numbers I mentioned earlier is 530,000 Canadians being lifted out of housing needs because of investments in the national housing strategy.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, does the minister know the average home price in Canada today?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, another number to add to all the numbers I mentioned is 300,000. This is the number of homes being renovated—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, that one I feel was a puffball. The average home price in Canada is $717,000. The average home price last year was $606,000.

Does the minister not see there is a problem with getting more homes on the market for Canadian families?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, one program I have not mentioned yet is the one dealing with innovative systems and programs in building housing. There are 125,000 homes being constructed because of this particular program.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, let us go back to where we started. We need 1.8 million more homes built. That is what the experts are saying.

The Liberals' plan is committing to 100,000 more homes in four years, so 1.7 million more homes need to be created in the next 12 months. How does the minister plan to do that?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, one more initiative we have announced recently is the rapid housing construction initiative, which is going to lead to the construction of tens of thousands of new homes in just a year.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, this is tens of thousands of new homes. We are talking about needing 1.8 million to be created. I will give the minister credit for the 100,000 homes he has brought up, but after that we need 1.7 million more, so tens of thousands more homes does nothing.

How is the minister going to generate more housing supply in Canada?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, time is short, so let me repeat the numbers. They are 1,000,000, 300,000, 125,000, 71,000, 530,000, 9,200, plus a $4 billion acceleration fund to work with the provinces, territories and municipalities.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, I would ask the minister this: What is the average house price in Canada?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, that is interesting. We had those questions from the member for Carleton. My colleague said—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, that was a test. It was $717,000 this year. Last year it was $606,000, an 18.2% increase. Something needs to be done. The minister just received his binder from the back room, so hopefully it will help him. We need to create more housing supply in Canada.

Does the minister not see that we need to create 1.7 million more homes in Canada?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, indeed I have a binder because I am being told that I forget many other measures that are going to create many more homes.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Madam Chair, I would like to hear from the health minister regarding the Public Health Agency of Canada spending a billion dollars on the funding for border and travel measures, and isolation. How much was spent on providing nutritious meals to Canadians?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, the member is correct to mention that we have had to look after Canadians, both those who remained inside the country and others when they came back to Canada. We followed the important health and safety measures we put into place.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Madam Chair, I ask because we are seeing a lot of significant events happening at quarantine hotels. A celiac woman from Edmonton went 40 hours without food. Does the minister believe the money was well spent on this nutritious food for those with extreme dietary needs?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, the member is correct. The people who come to these places need to be treated with respect and care. That is what the Public Health Agency has to do in collaboration with the providers of the service.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Madam Chair, can the minister say how much was spent on providing Canadians with clothing, since they did not have their luggage?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, I am sorry to say I do not know the exact number. What I do know is that we need to look after all those people who come into Canada and treat them—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Madam Chair, I am asking because Andrew from Ottawa, who was on the news, spent five days in quarantine and did not have a change of clothes. He also had three negative COVID tests. Is that acceptable?