Debates of May 30th, 2025

Housing

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the government is taking action to put more money in Canadians' pockets by cutting their taxes right now. We expect the support of the members opposite to ensure that Canadians can afford more housing options because they have more money in their pockets. It is simple math that may be difficult for the Conservatives across the aisle to comprehend, but cutting taxes on GST for first-time homebuyers and income tax delivers more affordability.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario land registry office, Teranet, reports that the average age of a first-time homebuyer in Ontario last year was 40 years old, up from 34 a decade earlier. New data also shows that GTA home sales are the worst since the market crash of the 1990s. At home, the Niagara Home Builders' Association has said housing starts in Niagara are at a 10-year low. This is the Liberal government's 10-year record.

Can the Prime Minister tell us why Canadians should trust him and his government to fix the problems they created?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I served for 10 years as mayor of Vancouver on the front lines of a housing crisis. Cities, as many mayors and councillors here in Ottawa this week know, do not have the tools, the finances or the jurisdiction to solve a housing crisis. That is why I am here now: so the federal government can implement changes to make housing more affordable at a scale not seen in generations.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, after 10 years, the Liberals have doubled housing prices. The new minister's housing record shows that the government is more of the same. As the mayor of Vancouver, he oversaw rent increasing 50%, house prices increasing 179% and homelessness increasing 40%, yet we know we must build more homes to meet demand. The City of Langford is actually discussing slowing down the development of homes, stating, “there is no award for overachieving”.

How many more Canadians must struggle to find a home before the government finally tables a budget?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, getting affordable homes built in Canada means partnership and collaboration across all levels of government: the federal government, provinces and territories, cities and indigenous communities, to face the challenges we have on the ground in communities. For seven of my 10 years as mayor, it was a Conservative government that did nothing for affordable housing across Canada.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on his first day in office, the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure told Canadians that housing prices do not need to come down. He claims that the housing market is stable. However, in Beauce, the vacancy rate is less than 2% in a number of towns and cities. Rent for a new two-bedroom apartment has jumped by more than 50% just since 2021.

The measures announced by the current government are not enough. Young Canadians deserve to buy their own homes.

When will the government cut the red tape and come up with real solutions to the housing crisis?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, this is a serious issue. That is why we have a plan and a great minister who has the skills to deal with the issue.

In the meantime, we will work together. Why? Because not only do we need to ensure that we build more housing and ensure that construction is more affordable, but we have a tremendous opportunity to help workers who are affected by Donald Trump's tariff war. In the current circumstances, we are going to create a construction industry to help workers in the softwood lumber, steel and aluminum sectors.

I look forward to working with my colleague on this issue.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, their programs are simply not enough. Many young Canadians have lost the dream of owning their own home.

After 10 years in power, the Liberals have made rents, housing prices, down payments and mortgage payments double. People are suffocating. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the average house price rose 9.2% in the last year in Quebec.

Does the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure believe that housing prices should come down in Quebec so that our young people can realize their dream, yes or no?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, what Quebeckers and Canadians want to know is how we are going to help them through this housing and affordability crisis. The minister has been clear and our government has been clear: We are lowering taxes. We are making sure that we lower taxes on the middle class. We also want to eliminate the goods and services tax for first-time homebuyers. We abolished the carbon tax too. We are getting the job done on affordability.

In the meantime, we are also going to create jobs in the construction, steel and aluminum sectors and, of course—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member for St. Boniface—St. Vital.

Emergency Preparedness

[Ginette Lavack, Liberal, St. Boniface—St. Vital, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by sincerely thanking my constituents in the wonderful riding of St. Boniface—St. Vital for placing their trust in me to represent them here in the House of Commons.

I would like to ask my colleague, the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs a question.

The Prairies are affected by drought and warmer than normal temperatures for a third straight season. The conditions are fuelling the severity of wildfires and posing significant risks to our communities. We are not yet in June, and thousands of Canadians across the Prairies have been forced out of their homes, including thousands of—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs has the floor.

[Rebecca Chartrand, Liberal, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, my heart is with everyone across the country who is affected by the devastating wildfires, especially the people of my riding, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski. The fear and uncertainty are overwhelming, but the people are not alone. I remain in constant contact with my federal colleagues and provincial, local and indigenous leaders, including Councillor Debbie Dumas, to ensure that every person gets the support that they need. The federal government and the Canadian Armed Forces are fully mobilized, people are being evacuated, and we stand united in this crisis.

Public Safety

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal government, many Canadians no longer feel safe in their own communities. Violent crime is up 50%. Gang homicides are up 78%. Gun crime is up 116%. This is the direct result of the revolving-door Liberal justice system, or injustice system as I should say, and weak Liberal laws that serve the interests of criminals and not Canadians.

If this really is a new government, will the Prime Minister repeal Trudeau's old soft-on-crime policies, including Bill C-5 and Bill C-75?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our plan to keep communities safe will keep drugs, guns and criminals off our streets. We are committed to hiring 1,000 more CBSA officers and 1,000 more RCMP officers to secure our border and help keep our streets safe. We are partnering with police services across the country to fight organized crime. We will make it tougher for violent criminals to get bail and will impose stricter sentences for repeat violent offenders. We will always be there to protect Canadians.

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the now Minister of Public Safety said during the campaign that there was nothing wrong with the bail system in Canada. He even said it was “quite sound”. This was despite the deadly spree of murders and other violent attacks committed by people out on bail, and frontline officers across the country demanding immediate reform.

Does the Prime Minister agree with his Minister of Public Safety that there is no problem with the bail laws in Canada, or agree with the frontline officers who are demanding real action now?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, it is always heartening to hear the opposition clip something that is completely out of context, and unfortunately, the Conservative candidate in my riding did not even show up for the debate.

Let me just be clear: Our government was elected on April 28 with a mandate of ensuring that our communities are safe. That is exactly what we will do. We will work with law enforcement. This morning, I had the opportunity to meet, along with the Secretary of State for labour, members of the CPA, the Canadian Police Association, and I look forward to working with law enforcement across this country to make our communities safer.

[Colin Reynolds, Conservative, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, knocking on thousands of doors in my community this past spring, I heard the same concern: People are worried about the rise in crime. In Winnipeg, violent crimes like assaults, threats and extortion are increasing. Homicide Canada reported that in 2024, Winnipeg had over 40 homicides for the sixth year in a row. Because of Liberal bills, Bill C-5 and Bill C-75, repeat violent offenders are treated with kid gloves and get released.

When will the Liberals finally put the rights of victims and law-abiding Canadians ahead of their soft-on-crime, hug-a-thug agenda?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I will take a moment to thank my constituents for returning me to the House of Commons for the fourth time. I am rising for the first time as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

When I was talking to people during the campaign back home, they said when dangerous people commit serious crimes and pose a threat to public safety, they should face serious consequences. We have listened to them and are moving forward with stronger bail provisions for auto theft, for home invasions and for drug trafficking. We are also going to advance stronger sentences for serious crimes and for repeat offenders.

We are going to do what it takes to ensure that Canadians can feel safe in their communities and be safe in their communities.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since 2016, 50,000 Canadians have died due to drug overdoses, mostly from fentanyl. Mass fentanyl production is mass murder. Conservatives are proposing life sentences for those producing or distributing over 40 milligrams of fentanyl.

How many more Canadians must die before the Prime Minister will treat mass production of fentanyl as mass murder and support life sentences for drug kingpins?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the fentanyl crisis has impacted every community, not just in Canada but in all of North America and in many communities around the world. We are accelerating our work to crack down on and dismantle the fentanyl trade and organized crime groups that profit from it. That is why we listed seven cartels as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code. I am working closely with Kevin Brosseau, Canada's fentanyl czar, at home and abroad to put a laser-sharp focus on dismantling fentanyl rings.

We will always be there to protect Canadians.

Ethics

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, like most Canadians, I do not stash my assets in offshore tax havens in Bermuda or the Cayman Islands, and like them, I believe in shining a little sunlight on the people who govern us. The Prime Minister claims that his assets are in a blind trust, but Canadians are the ones completely in the dark. He absolutely knows what his assets were before he placed them into a blind trust.

I will ask a simple question that deserves a simple answer: Does the Prime Minister knowingly or blindly have any financial interest in any offshore tax havens, yes or no?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are so proud to have a new Prime Minister with a clear vision of the country and with a plan to rebuild our economy, a plan to take on the tariff challenges with the United States, a plan to give prosperity to all Canadians and, of course, a plan to comply stringently with the code of ethics for all parliamentarians, which is among the most stringent in the world.

The Prime Minister will be complying. The member will be complying. We will all be complying, and Canadians should feel very reassured about that.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I do not feel reassured. I certainly did not hear a “no” in there.

What we do know is that the Prime Minister was implicated in setting up offshore tax havens to avoid paying Canadian taxes. We know that he is sitting on stocks from Brookfield Asset Management, which is riddled with conflicts of interest and which benefits handsomely from government contracts. We know that he is perfectly fine to promote companies Brookfield owns on the debate stage, so what will he do to help himself behind the closed doors of government? Canadians deserve to know if he will financially benefit from any current or future contracts Brookfield gets with his government.

When will the Prime Minister come clean and tell Canadians what assets he personally holds?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been the governor of two central banks. He has had a successful career, which I am sure he is very proud of, in the private sector, and he has come to public service once again. This is another tour of public service for our Prime Minister, with a clear plan to get Canada's economy back on track. That is what the Prime Minister is up to.

What the Prime Minister is also up to is stringent compliance with the code of ethics that Parliament has imposed upon itself, one of the most serious and stringent in the world. Canadians should feel very reassured.