Debates of Sept. 18th, 2023

Housing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, after the summer the Liberals have had, even the Prime Minister must admit that he is not worth the cost.

Eight years after he promised to make housing more affordable, he doubled the cost. Then he said that housing was not his job, panicked when he plummeted in the polls, and recycled promises that he had broken more than six years earlier.

It took the Prime Minister eight years to cause this housing hell. How long will it take him to fix it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians across the country are feeling the effects of increased prices, particularly for groceries and housing.

That is why we are taking immediate action to build more apartment buildings by removing the GST on construction work, to support small businesses by extending their loan repayment deadlines and to invite the sector CEOs to a meeting today to make sure that they lower grocery prices.

Our priority is to build an economy that is focused on the well-being of all Canadians. That is what we are going to do every day in the House and in the government.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there is no well-being for people living in tents.

After eight years under this Prime Minister, the cost of housing has doubled. Interest rates are rising faster than at any other time in our country's economic history. Even former Liberal finance minister John Manley said that the Prime Minister's inflationary deficits are behind the rising interest rates, which are preventing people from building and buying homes.

Will the Prime Minister finally get rid of the inflationary deficits that are causing interest rates to go up and keep his promise to balance the budget?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, actions speak louder than words and we are taking action. We are building thousands of housing units in London and cutting red tape. We are encouraging cities like Calgary to present even more ambitious proposals and we are making sure that affordable apartments are built across the country by cutting the GST on construction.

If the CEOs of the big grocery chains do not make groceries more affordable then we will.

Those are the measures Canadians are looking for and that is what we are doing to build an economy that works for everyone.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, after the summer the Liberals have had, even the Prime Minister must admit that he is not worth the cost. Eight years after he promised to make housing more affordable, he doubled the cost: doubled the rent, doubled mortgage payments and doubled the needed down payment. Then he said that housing is not his job. Then he panicked when he plummeted in the polls, and he recycled promises he had broken six years earlier.

It took him eight years to cause this housing hell. How long will it take to fix it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we said we would work with municipalities to get housing built faster. That is exactly what we are doing right across the country, including, for example, with the city of London, where we have gotten a deal done that fast-tracks the creation of over 2,000 additional housing units over the next three years and builds thousands more in the years to come. We are doing this by cutting red tape, fixing outdated zoning policies and building more homes faster. This is our first deal but, I promise, not the last.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he is building bureaucracy, not building homes. In fact, his inflationary deficits drive up interest rates, according to former Liberal finance minister John Manley. That ensures that it is harder not only to buy homes but also to build them.

Today we got the devastating news that not only are we not increasing home building, but also home building was down in August, 18 months after the Prime Minister's accelerator was brought into place.

When will he realize that he is not worth the cost, get out of the way and build homes, not bureaucracy?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader's bickering will not help get houses built. Our plan does. The Minister of Housing wrote to the mayor of Calgary, offering to partner with the city if it made necessary changes for more affordable housing. Just this Saturday, the City of Calgary approved a plan for reducing zoning red tape and building housing by public transit. This is a step in the right direction. We know that together we can build more apartments for students to rent and more homes for families to grow in.

Finance

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, all he has delivered is an economy that built fewer homes last year than were built in 1972. This year, housing construction is expected to drop further, by 32%. Data from August showed that home building was down again. His inflationary deficits drive up interest rates, which makes it harder for builders to finance their construction and harder for Canadians to afford a mortgage.

Will he finally do what he promised to do eight years ago, and that is to balance the budget to bring down interest rates and inflation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we will focus on delivering real results while the leader opposite is focused on empty slogans and picking fights. In fact, when he was in charge of housing, he bungled projects like the Toronto Line 1 extension, which to this day has no housing near a number of its stations. In contrast, we are actually linking public transit dollars to apartments and housing density, and we are doing so without the Conservative plan to restrict access to abortion, to deny the impact of climate change and to put more assault weapons on our streets.

Housing

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the midst of a housing crisis, Quebeckers want elected officials to find solutions. So far, elected officials in Ottawa have not found solutions; they have found scapegoats. They blame Quebec's cities for Ottawa's failures.

In a surprise move, the municipalities pointed out that the federal government is withholding $900 million earmarked for housing in the midst of a housing crisis. Ottawa has been depriving Quebec of $900 million in housing for the past six months.

Now is not the time for squabbling; now is the time for construction projects. It is time to be responsible. Will the government release our $900 million immediately?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are here to build more housing, in partnership with the provinces and municipalities.

That is why we implemented a $4‑billion plan to speed up densification, improve zoning and help municipalities build more housing more quickly. We also eliminated the GST on the construction of new housing buildings because we know that we need to increase supply.

We will continue to be there to work hand in hand with the provinces and municipalities. We will fight this housing crisis by working together.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if housing is a priority for the Liberals, they should free up the $900 million that is rightfully ours to build housing. It cannot get much simpler than that.

However, the Liberals are doing the opposite. They are withholding the $900 million for housing. What message does that send to Quebeckers who are struggling to find decent housing? It says that they not the government's priority. They come second to jurisdictional squabbles. It is irresponsible. It is not what Quebeckers expect from the federal government.

When is the government going to pay out the $900 million for housing?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we know very well that the Bloc Québécois is here to squabble. We are here to work hand in hand with the provinces and municipalities.

That is why we have set up a $4-billion plan to work directly with municipalities to increase the housing supply, increase densification and improve zoning to speed up the construction of new housing. We have also eliminated the GST on the construction costs of new housing because we know how important it is to increase supply.

It is just one part of what we have been doing for a long time, and will continue to do, to help people across the country.

Grocery Industry

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for 20 months, Canadians have been dealing with high grocery bills, and neither the Leader of the Opposition nor the Prime Minister has the courage to mention the true culprit, corporate greed, which is driving up prices. In fact, when they had the chance to publicly show up and hold these CEOs to account, neither of them even bothered to show up. The Leader of the Opposition even gave tax breaks to wealthy CEOs.

When will the Prime Minister stop the delay and disappointment? When will the government step up and force these CEOs to finally lower their prices?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our focus is on making life more affordable and ensuring that corporations pay their fair share.

The Minister of Innovation met today with the CEOs of the large grocery chains to reinforce the immediate need to stabilize food prices and improve competition. Indeed, we are introducing changes to competition here in Canada to address the rise in food prices, among others. We will, every day, continue to build an economy that works for all Canadians.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has lost one million affordable housing units under the Liberals and Conservatives, and housing construction has been declining for the past five months. Removing the GST on affordable housing construction is important, but eight years too late. A lot more needs to be done.

When will the Prime Minister put a stop to the delay and announce that the federal government is going to start building affordable housing again?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our focus is on making life more affordable and ensuring corporations pay their fair share.

The Minister of Innovation met today with the CEOs of the large grocery chains to reinforce the immediate need to stabilize food prices and improve competition. Indeed, we are introducing changes to competition here in Canada to address the rise in food prices, among others.

We will every day continue to build an economy that works for all Canadians.

Carbon Pricing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP has now been in government for almost two years, during which time, by their own admission, both grocery prices and grocery profits have gone up. That is the result they get. Now they are supporting the Prime Minister's plan for a carbon tax that will rise to 61¢ a litre on the farmers who make food and the truckers who ship food. Their response to all this was to hold a big photo op today.

The Prime Minister claims food will be affordable by Thanksgiving, so by Thanksgiving, will lettuce be back down from its 94% increase because of today's meeting?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, this is coming from someone who advocated for crypto as advice to Canadians. I think Canadians watching at home understand not to follow his advice when it comes to groceries. The answer of Canadians is “thanks, but no thanks.”

We are going to continue to do the tough work on this side and fight for Canadians at every step of the way.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is not just a single carbon tax. There is a second carbon tax that the Prime Minister wants to slap on Quebeckers. Yes, it will apply to Quebeckers—Quebec farmers and truck drivers who deliver our food. The Bloc supports that tax and wants to increase it “drastically”. This will only make food prices skyrocket.

Will the Prime Minister agree with the Bloc's request to drastically increase the carbon tax on the backs of Quebeckers?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, this being my first opportunity to rise since Parliament resumed, I want to offer my deepest condolences to every Canadian who has been impacted by forest fires, to the tens of thousands who have been evacuated this summer because of forest fires and floods. Thank God, tropical storm Lee did not hit as hard as it could have.

With the reality of climate change, any responsible government has to invest in climate action and support Canadians in these challenging times. That is exactly what we are doing on this side of the House.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal-Bloc carbon tax has caused food prices to soar. The cost of carrots alone has risen by 74%.

My mother always told me to eat my carrots. She said they were good for my eyes. I encourage the Bloc leader to eat more carrots to help him see the cost of his support for the Liberal-Bloc carbon tax.

The Prime Minister and his Bloc coalition are not worth the cost. Is there any hope that the Prime Minister's big meeting with grocery CEOs will eliminate this 74% price hike on carrots by Thanksgiving, yes or no?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, considering the forest fire season we had, not to mention the storms and heat waves happening here in Canada and around the planet, I think some would say that all hope is lost.

However, we must fight climate change. We must create good jobs in Canada. We must help Canadians in these difficult times. That is exactly what we on this side of the House are doing.

What does the Conservative Party have to suggest? It has absolutely no suggestions to make when it comes to fighting climate change. The Conservatives want to make it free to pollute again. For a party that hopes to form government one day, that position is irresponsible.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what we want is for groceries to be cheaper for everyone. Contrary to the Bloc Québécois's claims, the Liberals' carbon tax 2 applies not only to Canadians but to Quebec too.

On June 1, a motion was moved in the House:

That...the House recognize the failure of carbon tax one and call on the government to immediately cancel carbon tax two (the “Clean Fuel Regulations”).

The Bloc Québécois voted against that motion. Worse still, the Bloc members want to drastically increase the carbon tax.

Will the Prime Minister reject the Bloc's request to drastically increase the carbon tax at Quebeckers' expense?