Debates of Jan. 29th, 2024

Housing

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives dismiss as photo ops are binding agreements with cities that have led them to already change their rules to get more homes built.

What they dismiss as press conferences included a new measure this morning that is going to extend low-cost loans to colleges, universities and builders to help those young people find a home and free up supply in communities.

If the Conservatives are concerned with housing stats as the appropriate metric, I would point out that never once when the opposition leader was the housing minister did he get as many homes built as we did last year.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canada's housing crisis keeps getting worse. Canada saw over 17,000 fewer housing starts in 2023 than in 2022, and the average asking rent in British Columbia is now $2,500 a month. Working-class people are living in their cars in parking lots, and its own housing agency even said that there is no plan to build the number of houses that Canadians need in this country.

The Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. When will the Prime Minister have a plan to build houses, not bureaucracy?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan to build houses. In fact, we have a plan to build houses in real communities.

Let us take the hon. member's constituency as an example. She represents the good people of Kelowna. Not only have we put programs in place that supported affordable housing in her community, but we have also invested $31.5 million to change the way that homes get built permanently in Kelowna. This is going to add up to 20,000 new homes of stock in the city she represents.

On both the plan to change the way the city builds homes and this specific project, the member voted against the programs that fund them. I think we can rest our case.

Justice

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, hate led to the murder of six worshippers at the Quebec City mosque seven years ago today. They were killed in cold blood because they were Muslim. The perpetrator of this Islamophobic terrorism was influenced by hate, which continues to multiply online. The Prime Minister promised to take action to combat online hate within his first 100 days in office. Years have passed, and there is still no action.

When are the Liberals finally going to crack down on online hate? When will they take action?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge that today is the seventh anniversary of a terrorist attack at the Quebec City mosque. We commit ourselves to commemorating those victims and to taking action on Islamophobia.

The point the member is raising about Islamophobia and all forms of hate is a very important one. We know that the radicalization of people who take violent and sometimes lethal acts in this country is fuelled by what they learn online. That is why we are committed to addressing this matter in a comprehensive piece of legislation that would tackle this pernicious issue and address and promote the safety of Canadians.

International Development

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the same day that the ICJ ruled that there is a risk of genocide in Gaza, the Liberals paused funding to UNRWA, which is a lifeline for millions of innocent Palestinians. People will lose their lives, and unbelievably, the Conservative leader has accused 30,000 UNRWA humanitarian workers of being terrorists. He does not deserve to lead.

New Democrats support an investigation into the 12 former staff, but defunding UNRWA is collective punishment, and it is illegal. When will the Liberals stop abandoning Palestinians?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of International Development]

Mr. Speaker, these allegations are extremely disturbing, and we take them very seriously. We have communicated that to the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini.

What we are doing, which is the prudent thing to do, is pausing funding while the investigation is ongoing. We will continue to be there for Palestinian civilians through working with like-minded partners on the ground, trusted partners, who are doing important work to deliver life-saving food, medicine and other much-needed supplies to the people of Gaza.

Housing

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, through the housing accelerator fund, our government is partnering with the City of Richmond with a tremendous investment in housing in our community, building over 1,000 new housing units, which is way more than what the Conservative government did. While the Conservative leader continues to marginalize our municipal partners, our government is committed to working together with municipalities such as Richmond to build more homes faster.

Can the minister share with my community how we are working with local municipalities to build more homes faster in the city of Richmond?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his work not just to secure $35.9 million for the City of Richmond but also for the thousands of homes that will be built as a result of the changes we are incentivizing.

We are putting federal money on the table to permanently change the way that cities build homes to create more density near the services, infrastructure and post-secondary education institutions that people need to do well in their communities. This program is creating hundreds of thousands of homes across the country, including in Richmond, and I once again want to thank my colleague and congratulate him on his important work.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, in the Prime Minister's riding, the cost of rent has gone from $760 a month to $2,249 a month. That is three times as much. The Prime Minister thinks only of himself. He travels to Jamaica at a cost of over $9,000 a night on our dime.

Can he come back to Canada's reality and address the housing problems of Canadians, beginning with those in his own riding of Papineau, in Montreal?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the Leader of the Opposition's solution is to say that mayors are incompetent. That is inappropriate under the circumstances.

We are investing to build affordable housing in la belle province. For example, we signed an agreement with Quebec to build 8,000 new affordable housing units. We continue to make very important and essential investments to build a lot of housing very quickly.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish I had been a fly on the wall when the Prime Minister and the mayor of Montreal had their talk about housing. The Plante administration blocked the construction of 25,000 homes and apartments, yet this Prime Minister is rewarding it for its incompetence by continuing to send cheques. Clearly, the meeting amounted to nothing.

Why not tie municipal funding to the number of housing units built? That is simple common sense.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that to achieve success in housing, we have to learn to communicate with each other, to co-operate with cities and the private sector, to work together. That is the complete opposite of what the Leader of the Opposition did when he came to Quebec. He insulted the mayor of Montreal, the mayor of Quebec City and mayors everywhere. He comes to insult all Quebeckers, and we do not need him.

We know how to build housing, and together with the Minister of Housing, we are going to build housing. The Leader of the Opposition needs to stop insulting Quebeckers.

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Prime Minister, the rents that Canadians are paying have reached an all-time high. Rent costs have doubled, and the housing shortage is only making matters worse. We are now learning that hundreds of homeless encampments are popping up in the regions, including my region, the Saguenay. Welcome to Canada under this government. Canadians are living on the streets, either because they cannot afford to keep a roof over their heads or because there is not enough housing.

When will the Liberals listen to our common-sense plan and build housing?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, instead of tossing around insults, I would like to remind my colleague that, a few weeks ago, the member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier insulted residents of the Magdalen Islands and we are still waiting for an apology.

My question is simple. Will this member denounce my colleague's comments or will he hide his head in the sand? We are proud residents of the Magdalen Islands, of Quebec and its regions. We are waiting for a response. The Conservatives need to grow a spine and apologize.

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should be encouraging the ingenuity of mayors who have managed to accelerate housing construction in places like Victoriaville, Trois-Rivières and Saguenay. Montreal has seen a 37% drop in housing starts compared to last year, and Quebec City has seen a 40% drop. Once elected, our leader will give federal bonuses to cities that accelerate housing construction.

Once again, when will the Liberals listen to our common-sense plan and finally build more housing?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinary that an anglophone from Nova Scotia has to stand in the House of Commons and explain that it is the federal government that must enter into agreements with the provinces, not the municipalities. This is important in Quebec.

We continue to make investments to build more affordable housing faster. I hope the Conservative Party will join us.

Small Business

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government's inflexibility with the CEBA loans is leading our SMEs into bankruptcy. Since the January 18 deadline, some SMEs have lost their $20,000 subsidy. In other words, our struggling businesses, those who were already having a tough time paying back $40,000, now owe the federal government $60,000. That is a death sentence. However, the federal government can still do two things: let the businesses keep the $20,000 subsidy and guarantee their loan with their financial institution.

Why not give businesses an opportunity to pay back their loan?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Mr. Speaker, we know that small businesses are still going through a tough time.

They still have nearly three years to pay back their CEBA loan. We extended the term loan repayment deadline to ensure that small businesses can focus on their post-pandemic recovery.

We are also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering credit card fees up to a quarter.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, sounds like it is all sunshine and lollipops. If everything was so peachy, business owners would not have to refinance their homes or to take on personal loans to reimburse the federal government.

For the thousands who were unable to reimburse the $40,000, an extra $20,000 will truly finish them off.

The federal government will lose everything unless it is willing to undertake thousands of collection efforts. If we want these businesses to reimburse their loans, we have to keep them afloat. We have to open a direct line of communication. We have to be flexible and let them keep the $20,000 subsidy.

When will the government finally understand?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my colleagues in the Bloc Québécois, who seem to be very concerned, that 80% of businesses have already reimbursed their loans in their entirety.

I also want to remind them that it was this federal government that invested to help businesses during COVID‑19 with rent assistance and wage subsidies. We have a long list of programs with Canada Economic Development and our CFDCs. We are there for small businesses.

Finance

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in just two years, the Liberal-NDP Prime Minister has doubled the interest payments on his explosive debt. That is more tax dollars going to bankers, bondholders and his finance minister's Bay Street buddies than to health care. After eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost or his waste, like the $35-billion Infrastructure Bank that has built zero projects, yet lined the pockets of Liberal cronies.

When will the Prime Minister cut the waste, cut the corruption, fix the budget to bring home lower prices and bring down inflation and interest rates?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we have already heard Conservative hypocrisy. Now we are hearing Conservative alarmism. Therefore, let us set the facts straight. The reality is that Canada's public finances are sustainable, and that is not me talking. That is the credit ratings agencies, which have awarded Canada a AAA rating. It does not get better than that.

The real question that Canadians need to ask themselves is this. What would the Conservatives cut in their reckless and ideological pursuit of austerity? We have heard from them on health care. That is the first place they would go to make cuts.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, first, we will cut the number of Liberal seats in the House and replace them with a common-sense Conservative government.

Let me give the fast and furious finance minister some free non-consultant advice. Why do the Liberals not cut woke policies and axe the carbon tax to bring down the cost of gas, groceries and home heating, and pass Bill C-234 for our farmers? Why do they not cut the $20 billion the Prime Minister gives to Liberal consultants to cover up the incompetency by his own cabinet?

After eight years, we all know the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. When will the Liberals fix the budget to bring down inflation and interest rates?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I will tell members one thing we know they would cut for sure, because that is what their votes during the marathon voting session showed. They would cut, shamefully, our support for Ukraine. They would not send weapons to Ukraine.

The member opposite is an MP for Alberta. I would like to ask him what his heckling colleagues have just shouted. Why do they support Putin? Have they no shame?