Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend for her question. This is an ongoing issue. We have seen it. In this case, we are talking about Build Canada Homes. What will the delays be? The government must take quick action, in collaboration with Quebec through a memorandum of understanding, so that every dollar voted in the budget gets out the door as quickly as possible.
We know that the cost of building housing is skyrocketing. A one-year delay represents a very significant percentage increase, and it is even worse for a two- or three-year delay. What we have seen in recent years is that, for Quebec, federal programs administered through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation take years to make an impact. A dollar voted in year one could end up only getting out the door in year three, four or even five.
However, the same dollar that was invested in year one will buy much less lumber and fewer doors and windows in years three, four or five. That money will therefore build far fewer homes, all because an agreement had to be reached, details needed to be negotiated and so on. Plus, there is the issue of red tape. That is why the Bloc Québécois has always said that areas of jurisdiction must be respected. When a dollar is earmarked for something, it must be sent directly to the provinces so that it can be put to use as quickly as possible.
The need is there. With prices rising sharply due to inflation, the faster the dollar is spent, the more we get for our money. I would like to thank my colleague once again for her insightful remarks highlighting the needs of the FQM and the UMQ.