Debates of June 9th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Chair, every single one of my questions could have been answered with a yes or no, and none of them have been.

Did the government consider the impact on employment before setting the current immigration numbers?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, when those targets are set, the IRCC has to consult all provinces, territories, stakeholders and communities.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, fewer than 230,000 housing starts occurred in 2024, but the government allowed in over a million people in the middle of a housing crisis. Why did it do this?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, immigration is Canada's greatest strength, and it is important not to blame newcomers to Canada for the housing crisis.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, with vacancy rates below 2% in many parts of the country, how can the minister justify bringing in hundreds of thousands more people to Canada this year?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, what I will say is, post-pandemic, had we not increased our immigration levels, our economy would have absolutely shrunk.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, it was the minister's government, the Liberal government, that created this crisis. It created the housing crisis. It created the health care crisis. It created the infrastructure crisis.

Does the minister acknowledge that out-of-control immigration levels helped to double the cost of rent in Canada?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, we recognize that we need to balance our immigration levels with the pressures on housing, and that is exactly what we are doing.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, the 2025 global cities index from Oxford Economics found that people in Toronto spend more of their income on housing than residents of nearly every other city in the world. Why is the minister and the Liberal government bringing in hundreds of thousands more people to Canada this year?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, the figures I have been presented with have told me that, because of the work we have been doing in cities like Toronto, there is now a decline of 8.1% in rent.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, Toronto has the highest housing costs in the world. CMHC says we need 3.5 million more homes by 2030 to provide shelter for the people who are already here. Why is the government bringing in hundreds of thousands more foreign students and low-skilled labour in the middle of a housing crisis?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, the member mentioned foreign students, meaning international students. We have brought in 290,000 net new arrivals in Canada through the international student program. A lot of these students are here—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, the minister knows there are fewer housing starts than that. Rents have more than doubled across the country. Canadians cannot afford their mortgages or their rent. International students are sleeping under bridges or in tents due to the housing shortage.

Why is the minister issuing hundreds of thousands more foreign student visas this year?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, we have introduced student caps. We have also worked with the institutions. The provinces are very well aware, and they are working with their universities and colleges through the designated learning institutions. We have put all kinds of limitations and expectations on the universities.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, asylum seekers have overwhelmed Toronto's homeless shelters. How much did taxpayers spend in 2024 for hotels for refugees? Can the minister give us a number?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, how much has the federal government spent? I did have that in my estimates actually, and I will get it for the member.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, why is the government spending billions of dollars to house asylum seekers in hotels in Toronto when many Torontonians cannot afford rent?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, the housing temporary relief that we have is long-term. We provided money to provinces in order to build infrastructure that is permanent. The number—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, experts have been warning for years that the Liberals' radical levels of immigration have been jacking up housing prices. Does the minister at least acknowledge that the Liberals' out-of-control immigration levels have made Canadians pay way more for housing?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, I believe I already responded to that question when we talked about international students and housing. The facts show that rents have already started to come down in major cities, and we have—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member, for his last question.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Chair, clearly that is not a true statement.

The minister has said that immigration must be sustainable. Are the tent cities, overflowing shelters and sky-high rents across Canada what her government—