House of Commons Hansard #92 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was iran.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Export and Import Permits Act Second reading of Bill C-233. The bill aims to amend the Export and Import Permits Act to close dangerous loopholes in Canada's arms export regime, particularly the exemption for exports to the United States. Supporters argue it ensures Canada's international obligations and prevents human rights violations. Opponents, including the Bloc and Conservatives, warn it is too rigid, could harm Canadian industry, and strain alliances and the crucial defence relationship with the U.S. 6900 words, 1 hour.
Government Business No. 6—Proceedings on Bill C-9 Members debate a motion to expedite Bill C-9, which aims to combat hate propaganda, hate crimes, and protect access to religious sites. Liberals and the Bloc Québécois support the motion, citing Conservative filibustering and the urgent need to address rising hate-motivated violence. Conservatives oppose limiting debate, arguing the bill, particularly the removal of the religious exemption, threatens freedom of religion and expression, and that the government is censoring discussion on a "censorship bill." 15800 words, 2 hours.
Canada Post Corporation Act First reading of Bill C-262. The bill aims to modernize and standardize direct-to-consumer shipping of Canadian wine, beer, and spirits across provincial borders, creating a national framework to replace current provincial rules. 300 words.
Build Canada Homes Act Second reading of Bill C-20. The bill aims to establish Build Canada Homes, a Crown corporation, to increase affordable housing supply and promote efficient building techniques. The Liberal government states it will fast-track construction, use federal lands, and leverage partnerships, backed by a $13 billion investment. Conservatives criticize it as a fourth bureaucracy that will not solve the housing crisis, citing past Liberal failures and proposing tax cuts and reduced red tape instead. The Bloc Québécois argues housing is provincial jurisdiction and advocates for unconditional federal transfers to Quebec. 26100 words, 3 hours.
Iran and the Middle East Members debate the hostilities in Iran and the Middle East and their impact on Canadians abroad. The Liberals emphasize de-escalation, civilian protection, and consular support for Canadians, while Conservatives criticize the government's "incoherent and contradictory" position on U.S. air strikes. The Bloc Québécois stresses the importance of consulting allies and preparing contingency plans, and the NDP condemns the strikes as illegal under international law, urging a return to diplomacy. 31600 words, 4 hours.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, as I look at the creation of Build Canada Homes, I am particularly interested in the fact that the government moved fast and used something rarely used, called a special operating agency, which is under Treasury Board rules.
I wonder if the lack of transparency involved in that troubles the member for Thornhill.
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite raises an interesting point. There are a lot of these shadow bureaucracies being set up right outside of the bureaucracy, which has grown, by the way, in a disproportionate way. The member opposite should be interested to know that the government is actually looking to set up another $1.5-billion office to buy excess condo stock off the market. The Liberals have not told anybody about it, but that is certainly what they are dealing with here. This is yet another program outside of what is being delivered in what is going to be Build Canada Homes, unless they change it and they can get the votes in the House to support it.
Caroline Desrochers LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, I will share my time with the member for Churchill—Keewatinook Aski.
I am very proud to have this opportunity to talk about Bill C-20, the Build Canada Homes act, and why Build Canada Homes plays an important role in supporting the Canadian economy and the federal government's buy Canadian policy.
Launched in September 2025, Build Canada Homes is a special operating agency that, thanks to its fast and effective work, has already undertaken major projects to provide more affordable housing to Canadians. As a Crown corporation, Build Canada Homes will have the flexibility and operational autonomy to fulfill its mandate and clear lines of accountability to the government. This is why the Build Canada Homes act is a decisive piece of legislation.
The Government of Canada must strengthen its ability to respond to the housing crisis, increase housing supply and accelerate innovation in residential construction. Too many Canadians are still struggling to find affordable housing. The mission of Build Canada Homes is to fast-track the construction of affordable housing. Housing costs are going up and supply is not keeping up with demand. By consolidating functions that were once spread out across multiple departments, agencies and programs, we will strengthen the government's ability to deliver real results. We know that our opposition colleagues hate it when we deliver real results, but we are going to do it anyway. Traditional approaches to construction and financing are no longer enough on their own to deliver the fast, large-scale results that Canadians need. Build Canada Homes will be a developer, a funder, a unifying force and a catalyst for innovation in the housing sector. Canadians need more homes, and the build Canada homes act will help us build faster and more efficiently at scale.
I would now like to talk a bit about the economic situation and how Build Canada Homes fits into the current economic climate across the country. Recently, the global economy experienced a change that upended the traditional world order. Canada can no longer count on its biggest trade relationship. In light of this, we have to strengthen our capacity here in Canada. We are building stronger relationships with all levels of government, be they municipal, territorial or provincial, and with our indigenous partners. We are making strategic investments to build a stronger, more sustainable and more resilient economy. We are working to cut red tape, remove internal trade barriers and pursue new agreements to stimulate local economies.
In these uncertain times, the Government of Canada is taking decisive action now to transform our nation and to make it more resilient, moving it from reliance to resilience. The goal is to make Canada one of the fastest-growing and most competitive economies in the world, ushering in a new era of economic security and prosperity for Canadians. The Government of Canada is achieving this by building on the strength of our industries and implementing measures like Build Canada Homes and the buy Canadian policy in order to invest in the future and grow our economy.
As a Crown corporation, Build Canada Homes will be funded through the initial $13-billion envelope announced in the 2025 budget. Build Canada Homes is not a program. It is an investment agency that may seek other investment and gather other financial institutions around the table. Build Canada Homes was created to centralize federal support for affordable housing, in coordination with the other departments and agencies. It is going to move swiftly, use federal lands, support innovative building approaches and establish partnerships in all sectors to build more homes.
Build Canada Homes is a key part of Canada's new industrial strategy, and it will contribute to a more productive residential construction sector. Build Canada Homes will boost the housing industry through the construction of thousands of new homes. As more homes are built, we will ensure the growth, training and support for Canada's skilled workforce while creating good-paying jobs. In addition to building new homes, we will support the delivery of critical housing infrastructure, including water and waste water systems. Build Canada Homes will prioritize projects that use Canadian-made materials, such as mass timber, softwood lumber, steel and aluminum.
It will promote modern construction methods such as modular and prefabricated housing to reduce construction times, material waste and environmental impact.
The federal government is leveraging the key relationships it has with private developers, businesses, community organizations and non-profits, and with other government and indigenous partners. By working together, we are creating job opportunities here at home and supporting the Canadian workforce. We are doing all this by building housing more efficiently and to benefit everyone: builders, developers, investors, buyers and workers.
In December 2025, we launched the buy Canadian policy, which was created to protect and prioritize Canadian industries and workers and to strengthen Canada's economy. The policy ensures that the federal government prioritizes Canadian suppliers and local content in its procurement processes. This approach applies to all federal funding sources and Crown corporations. The buy Canadian policy also provides a road map for provinces and municipalities to implement similar standards in their own procurement processes.
We have a big challenge ahead of us, and we need to tackle it on all fronts. These changes to the procurement rules will create a strong Canadian supply chain and help Canadian industries be more self-reliant and resilient in the face of fluctuations in the global economy. This policy supports Canada's construction and defence industries and applies to projects such as buildings, bridges and much more. It requires major federal construction and defence procurement projects to use Canadian-made steel, aluminum and wood.
The policy will also protect Canada's industry from global trade disruptions and foreign tariffs. Our aim is to build and strengthen our country while creating good-paying jobs and supporting major Canadian industries, such as steel, aluminum, critical minerals and softwood lumber. With the new buy Canadian policy, we are making the government a force for nation building. We are becoming our own best customer. We are protecting Canadian businesses and giving workers access to good-paying jobs that strengthen Canada's prosperity.
In conclusion, the Government of Canada is introducing legislation like the build Canada homes act to strengthen our capacity here at home. We are investing in Canadian industries and creating good jobs for young people, the jobs of tomorrow. Build Canada Homes is part of the federal government's strategic efforts to invest in our country, protect Canadian interests and make our economy one of the strongest in the G7.
By making Build Canada Homes a Crown corporation, the government will be in a better position to ensure that Canadians have access to affordable housing. Across the country, we want to build more housing quickly and efficiently using Canadian materials, Canadian labour and Canadian businesses. We want to build housing so all Canadians have a home that fits their budget and needs.
The build Canada homes act will give the federal government a bigger positive influence over Canada's housing system. Together, the investments made by Build Canada Homes, in collaboration with key partners, will help strengthen our economy and create lasting economic benefits for communities across the country.
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite speaks highly about the bill, but let us be honest, it is more bureaucracy: paying tax dollars to a bloated board of directors, all appointed by the government.
How does the member justify adding this layer of bureaucracy when Canadians are crying out for more actual homes, not more Liberal insiders with big salaries?
Caroline Desrochers Liberal Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is real, and we have to deal with it. We really need to think outside the box. We need to try something different. Clearly, what has been done so far has not worked.
Some very good projects have been launched since 2017 under Canada's national housing strategy. Hundreds of homes have been built. Now we have to tackle the issue of affordability. That is what we are doing through Build Canada Homes. The mission of Build Canada Homes is to deliver affordable housing.
What the members opposite are proposing is to help a different class, a different type. We also want to talk about access to home ownership. Access to home ownership is important, but we need to build more affordable homes.
Alexis Deschênes Bloc Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her co-operation during our work together on housing projects in my riding, in the Gaspé and on the Magdalen Islands.
I would like to ask her a question, because I think she has a good grasp of regional realities.
At the moment, construction costs are often 30% higher in the regions, but the funds provided by governments to build affordable housing make no allowance for this disparity. As a result, the same housing in the Gaspé has to cost 30% less to offset the additional costs.
What does my colleague think Build Canada Homes would have to do to ensure that regional realities will be taken into account?
Caroline Desrochers Liberal Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, my colleague raises an important issue. We must ensure that Build Canada Homes also responds to the realities of rural regions and remote communities. This is extremely important to me, and I often bring it up in conversations.
Right now, Build Canada Homes is exploring options to better support small municipalities, rural areas and remote communities in order to ensure that they have access to the program and that Build Canada Homes fully understands the realities of rural communities. We are continuing our efforts.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the member could just reflect on how important the issue has been for the government, which is the primary reason for bringing this legislation forward.
In contrast to the Conservatives, we believe that the national government does play a strong leadership role in making housing more affordable in Canada and in working with our partners.
Caroline Desrochers Liberal Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, Build Canada Homes has been established very quickly. Very little time passed between when we made that commitment during the election campaign and when Build Canada Homes was launched in September. In addition, shovels will be in the ground soon. The process happened exceptionally fast because we know that there is a real crisis. We absolutely must propose concrete solutions, not just unequivocal, across-the-board tax cuts. That is no way to run serious programs.
By making Build Canada Homes a Crown corporation, we will get all the tools we need, all the mechanisms we need to build more housing, to bring more financial partners to the table and to create innovative partnerships. That is what we are doing.
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Speaker, I will ask a very quick question. Housing is under Quebec's jurisdiction. Why is the government still trying to centralize it? It slows the process down, and the Government of Quebec, provincial governments and local governments know more about what their people need.
Caroline Desrochers Liberal Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage my colleague to have that conversation with the Government of Quebec, which is very enthusiastic about the agreement we signed. Our collaboration with the Government of Quebec has been going very well since the agreement was signed on January 21. We have already met several times to discuss working together, and some projects are close to being approved.
I encourage the member to discuss this with the Government of Quebec, which is happy with the agreement.
Rebecca Chartrand LiberalMinister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support Bill C-20, not only as the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, but also as a first nations woman and the first to have this portfolio.
However, this is not about me; it is about the communities of the north that really need to be the problem-solvers of the issues they are dealing with on a day-to-day basis, including housing. It is also about the communities I come from, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski. When we think about the generations of northern and indigenous women who have carried their families, languages, nations and communities through hardships and hope and we think about this moment, there is real meaning and opportunity in this bill.
When we think about a house, it is more than four walls and a roof; it is the backbone of health, safety, opportunity and identity. When families sleep at night, sometimes they are concerned about overcrowding. This can be exhausting when elders do not have a place to consider home as they are aging. They want to age on the lands that raised them. They want to see that children have space to study and dream and that communities can thrive. In the north and the Arctic, people have waited far too long for basic conditions most of us in the south take for granted.
When we think about moving forward from an Inuit Nunangat perspective, more than half of Inuit live in crowded housing, and in Nunavut the rate is even higher. The realities of building in the north are unlike anywhere else in Canada. There are high construction, operation and maintenance costs; short building seasons; and supply chains that rely on sealift, winter roads and air. When timing slips in the north, it is not just a minor inconvenience; it can push a project into the next season and the cost increases significantly. The delays that this puts on families are exhausting.
This is why the Build Canada Homes act matters. This legislation would transform Build Canada Homes into a Crown corporation, which would give it the independence and tools to build more homes faster and more efficiently. The bill would strengthen federal capacity to partner with northern indigenous communities, which can build faster and at scale.
We want to ensure that we use public land more effectively and use modern construction methods that fit northern realities. Build Canada Homes would help scale off-site and modular construction, which are approaches that can improve speed and predictability when weather and short seasons make on-site building difficult. It would also help bundle projects so that smaller and remote communities are not left behind. It would back Canadian lumber, Canadian steel and Canadian workers; strengthen domestic supply chains; create good jobs; and build more of what we need here at home and in the north.
We are not starting from zero. Since launching in September 2025, Build Canada Homes has already advanced six direct-build projects and secured partnerships representing more than 7,500 homes.
Last month, Canada, Nunavut and NTI signed an agreement in principle to deliver 750 new homes across the territory, including public, affordable and supportive housing. Importantly for Nunavut's short season, a portion will use factory-built components to reduce delays and deliver homes more predictably, and 25 of those homes will be delivered through an Inuit-led model, reflecting the Inuit Nunangat policy and the right of Inuit to design and deliver housing solutions that work for them and their communities.
That is the kind of partnership this bill would make possible. It is practical, community-led and rooted in indigenous leadership and northern realities. It is the kind of partnership the House should be proud of.
This bill also supports the government's broader housing agenda, which is grounded in partnership with first nations, Inuit and Métis partners, so that housing reflects indigenous priorities and builds long-term capacity.
As Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, I see housing as foundational to everything else, including health, education, economic participation and community well-being. I also see it as a connection to sovereignty. Arctic sovereignty is not only about maps. It is about people: whether families can choose to stay where they grew up, workers can live where opportunities are and communities can thrive on lands for generations yet to come.
The bill is an opportunity to match urgency with capacity and to replace delay with delivery. I urge all members of this House to support the bill. The north has waited far too long. With the legislation, we could help build a future where northern and indigenous families are no longer waiting for housing, but they are helping to shape it, they are building it and they are finally calling it home.
Jacob Mantle Conservative York—Durham, ON
Mr. Speaker, my colleague provided her perspective as a member of the Inuit from northern Canada. I thank her for that, but I wonder how she is not angry. How is she not seething mad that under the present government, conditions have become so bad in Canada's north? The Auditor General, several years ago, concluded the same. Nunavut's own housing agency cannot keep up with it. In fact, the wait-lists for those seeking public housing in Nunavut have increased under the government and only continue to increase.
How can the minister support this? How can she support a government that is failing so miserably for her own people?
Rebecca Chartrand Liberal Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Mr. Speaker, as I said, housing in the north is a priority for the new government. In fact, through Build Canada Homes, as I mentioned earlier, we have signed an agreement, in principle, with Nunavut and Inuit partners to deliver 750 homes, which will be Inuit-led, delivered and built, including units delivered and managed by NTI. When we think about factory-built modular construction, that will also provide the opportunity to speed up timelines and create northern jobs, so those are also added value.
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, we have seen situations where the federal government decided to implement programs that are none of its business, that fall under the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces. The federal government's task is simply to transfer the funds. However, the Liberals always want to add conditions. In the latest situation involving housing, it took nearly a year and a half before an agreement was finally reached. As a result, Quebec's share of the money to help municipalities with housing was no longer available.
We are seeing something similar here. Build Canada Homes is a beast of a thing that risks further complicating the principle, bogging down the system and making things even more complex for Quebec municipalities.
I would like to know whether my colleague, on behalf of her government, can commit to ensuring that Quebec's share will still be there at the end of the negotiations. That way, we will be able to move forward with the projects that are priorities for Quebec and its municipalities.
Rebecca Chartrand Liberal Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Mr. Speaker, when we think about the investments that we are making, we are looking all across Canada. We are not focusing on any one region. We think about the work that we have done already, and we have tripled the Canada Infrastructure Bank for indigenous investments. We look at northern Quebec and northern Labrador, for example, and we have increased investment to $3 billion, because we are treating housing as critical infrastructure that will strengthen communities for generations.
We are also looking at skilled trades apprenticeship. We are looking at training-while-building models. We are looking at certification pathways, and this applies to Canadians across Canada, including Quebec.
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal Moncton—Dieppe, NB
Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague's speech quite intently, and I want to thank her for her hard work, because we certainly know that a lot of work has been done.
As opposed to what the member opposite said, the government certainly has prioritized housing for the north. During the speech, she also indicated that Build Canada Homes has established and elaborated some partnerships with people in the north. It is my understanding the partnerships are to ensure that the housing is built for the people and by the people. I am just wondering if the minister could elaborate on those partnerships.
Rebecca Chartrand Liberal Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Mr. Speaker, recently we have made some announcements, including one that I made in the Yukon on February 19, for an investment of $2.3 million. This is going to support First Kaska construction. It will ensure that this company has new equipment to upgrade manufacturing facilities. We are also investing in NGC Builders, where we will see new fabrication facilities. We are also investing in RAB Energy. This is a northern windows and doors company. It is indigenous-owned and indigenous-led. We will see the expansion of commercial aluminum operations to support northern builds. The impact here is that we are seeing support for northern and indigenous businesses like never before, because we have always taken a southern approach. This time we are ensuring that we are taking a northern approach as well.
Roman Baber Conservative York Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, this is the same recycled housing approach that the Liberals have had for the last decade, but I have a very serious and concrete question for the member. We already have the ministry of housing. We already have Canada Lands. We already have CMHC. Why do the Liberals require a fourth bureaucracy to not build homes?
Rebecca Chartrand Liberal Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Mr. Speaker, the Crown corporation is listening to northern and indigenous peoples. The Crown corporation the member mentioned is going to ensure we are working with partners in the north and that they are also the problem-solvers of the issues they are dealing with.
Vincent Ho Conservative Richmond Hill South, ON
I will be splitting my time, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to speak not just about a bill but about a generation that did everything right. They studied hard, they worked hard, they saved diligently and they followed the rules, and yet they cannot afford a home in the country they love and the Canada they call home.
Today we are debating the Liberals' so-called Build Canada Homes act. The Liberals are calling it bold, transformational and generational, but for the young couple staring at listings they can never afford, for the new immigrant family working two jobs and still renting a one-bedroom apartment and for the tradesperson who builds homes all day but cannot buy one at night, this Liberal bill feels less like hope and more like déjà vu of the years under the last Liberal prime minister. When we strip away the Liberal rhetoric, what do we find? It is another Liberal announcement, another Liberal acronym, another Liberal bureaucracy, another federal agency staffed by highly paid Liberal-connected Ottawa bureaucrats and another Liberal promise without a target. However, one thing is clear. The Liberals are not interested in building homes. They are simply building roadblocks and a backlog while crushing the hope of an entire generation.
In my own community, I meet young professionals, software developers, engineers and accountants, who quietly pull me aside at events and say they have given up, not because they are lazy or lack ambition, but because, even with good incomes and savings, the math simply does not work. One young couple told me that they had saved for 10 years, 10 years of discipline and counting the pennies on two full-time incomes. All they want is a modest townhouse to start a family, but they are completely priced out. They tell me they have given up on having kids and starting a family because of the housing crisis the Liberal government started. Others tell me they are moving back in their parents' basement because they want to at least have some money left at the end of the month after paying rent so they can afford food and basic necessities.
This is what the Liberal housing crisis has done. It has normalized suffering and despair. What does the latest “Housing Market Outlook” from the government's own housing agency, CMHC, tell us? It tells us that things are not improving. As a matter of fact, they are getting even worse, believe it or not. CMHC says Canada needs between 430,000 and 480,000 housing starts per year for the next decade just to restore affordability and meet projected demand. What did the Liberals get built last year? It was a meagre 259,028 homes. By 2028, housing starts are projected to fall as low as 212,000 per year. That is a staggering 18% drop and 55% below what CMHC says is necessary.
The Prime Minister promised 500,000 homes per year. He said we needed to build at a pace not seen since the Second World War. Instead, we are building at half the pace he promised, and headed even lower. In Toronto, housing starts were down 31% compared to the previous year. In other major Ontario cities, they were down 13%. In January, in the entire greater Toronto area, only 269 new homes were sold. That is down 36% from last year. It is 80% below the 10-year average, making it the lowest level since the early 1990s. That is not a slowdown. It is a Liberal paralysis. Buyers cannot buy, builders cannot build and sellers cannot sell, and the Liberals' answer is to create a fourth federal housing bureaucracy under the so-called Build Canada Homes act.
The Liberals do not want to build homes. Instead, they are obstructing builders with red tape, choking the market with taxes and shattering the dreams of young buyers. Even when the homes eventually get built under the Liberal bureaucracy, the government's own parliamentary budget watchdog, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the PBO, found that the Liberal bureaucracy will add just 5,000 homes a year. That is 1% of the 500,000 homes the Liberals promise. The Liberal housing minister himself admitted there are no top-line targets set for the number of homes to build. Really, no top-line targets? Imagine telling a 35-year-old, who feels like time is slipping away, that the government has no concrete goal.
The only thing bold about the government is the speed of its failure, and the transformation Canadians are witnessing is the transformation of hope into shattered dreams. This made-by-Liberal crisis is visible in every metric. CMHC itself says many households will delay buying homes and choose to rent longer as prices continue to rise over the next three years. Let us think about that. The government's own housing agency is effectively saying young Canadians have to wait longer, but pay more. For renters, the story is just as painful. Average two-bedroom rents rose another 5% last year after more than doubling under the last Liberal prime minister. In the GTA, someone earning an average income must spend 42% of their after-tax income just to afford a one-bedroom apartment and it is two-thirds of a minimum-wage paycheque just to rent a studio.
Canadians are suffocating in the Liberal housing hell. A report showed that more than half of first-time homebuyers who intend to purchase in the next five years believe home ownership is completely out of reach. We wonder why young Canadians are delaying marriage, delaying having children and moving back home. Many are leaving their communities and the country entirely.
We also need to be honest about what caused the Liberal housing crisis. Over the last decade, municipal development charges have increased by 700%. In Toronto, buyers now pay over $130,000 per apartment just in municipal taxes, and nearly $98,000 per condo in Mississauga. For single-family homes, Toronto and Markham charged over $180,000 per home, and $135,000 in Mississauga. Those are taxes before we even pour the foundation or lay a brick.
The Liberals promised during the election to cut these development charges by 50%, and as we can expect, they have broken that promise. Instead, they sent hundreds of millions of dollars to cities without strings attached, including nearly $400 million to Metro Vancouver, even as some regions now plan to triple development charges from 2024 levels. Developers warn that this will add tens of thousands of dollars to the price of a unit and slow down construction even further. Liberals are spending taxpayer money but delivering opposite results.
At the same time, the Liberal industrial carbon tax drives up the cost of cement, steel and glass. There are Liberal taxes on materials, taxes on permits, taxes on land and Liberal taxes on investment and reinvestment. Then, the Liberals think introducing a new federal agency will somehow solve the shortage those taxes and red tape helped create. When a country run by the Liberals makes it harder to build a home, it should not be a surprise when it becomes harder for Canadians to build a life.
It already takes the federal government nine years to dispose of surplus property, yet now the Liberals are considering acquiring private land, even as they cannot effectively build on the land they already own. The PBO found that under the Liberals' own affordability formula, a two-bedroom unit would cost $2,168 per month for the median household, which is nearly double the $1,100 national median market rent. Even their so-called affordable Liberal-made housing stretches affordability beyond reason and reality.
After 10 years of Liberal strategies, funds, accelerators and announcements, the Liberal housing crisis has become a Liberal housing catastrophe. Between 2011 and 2021, home ownership among young Canadians aged 30 to 34 fell from 60% to 52%. The decline is even steeper for younger cohorts. From 2019 to 2024, for every 100-person increase in the adult population, there were only 12 housing starts intended for home ownership, less than half the rate in earlier decades. Canadians see what is happening. A staggering 87% say they are concerned about the state of housing today, including 90% of gen Z and millennials.
The Liberal housing crisis is reshaping our communities, with 69% of Canadians saying that affordability is changing who can live in their neighbourhoods, and nearly half of young Canadians have considered leaving their city or province because housing costs are simply too high. This is not a market imbalance. It is a generational warning sign. Imagine doing everything right in life but not being able to build a life. That is what the Liberal government has done to the psychology of an entire generation.
Conservatives have sounded the alarm on the lack of housing supply for years. The Liberals have finally admitted that there is a problem, but they have not yet admitted that they are the problem. It has gotten so bad that 38% of builders report that they or their subcontractors have had to lay off workers because of market conditions. In 2020, 69% of housing starts were intended for the ownership market, with 31% for primary rentals. By 2025, five years later, the share for ownership had dropped to just 49%, a dramatic shift away from homes that families can actually buy.
Even more troubling is that 86% of builders now express concern about their business surviving the next 12 months, and 27% are extremely concerned, up sharply from 16% in late 2023. When the very people who build our homes are laying off workers and fearing for their survival, it is clear that this housing crisis is not just hurting buyers but is also crippling our workers and the economy as well.
Canadians do not need another Ottawa-based housing czar spewing Liberal rhetoric and propaganda. They need results and hope. That is why Conservatives have put forward a real plan. We will cut the GST on all new homes under $1.3 million, saving families up to $65,000 and unleashing new construction. We will tie federal infrastructure dollars to housing approvals. Municipalities must permit at least 15% more housing each year, and we will cut development charges by 50%. Finally, we will end capital gains tax on reinvestment in new housing to unlock billions in private investment.
Young Canadians are not asking for another agency. They are asking for a chance: a chance to save, a chance to buy and a chance to build a life. The Canadian promise used to mean something simple: Work hard, and one day one can own a home. Under the Liberals, that promise has been broken.
Let us stop building bureaucracy and start building homes. Let builders build so young Canadians can finally build a life. Hope has not faded for Canadians yet. It is just waiting to be rebuilt.
Notice of Closure MotionProceedings on Bill C-9Government Orders
Saint John—Kennebecasis New Brunswick
Liberal
Wayne Long LiberalSecretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, with respect to consideration of Government Business No. 6, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the House, a minister of the Crown shall move, pursuant to Standing Order 57, that debate be not further adjourned.
The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-20, An Act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a contrast, if I may, to when the leader of the Conservative Party was the minister responsible for housing. He will likely go down in Canadian history as the worst minister for housing. He contributed to six homes being constructed.
Having said that, we have seen, within a year, significant progress in terms of affordable housing. We have seen stakeholders of all forms actually get on board and support the government. The only ones who seem to not recognize the value of this legislation in particular are members of the Conservative Party. Why is that?
Vincent Ho Conservative Richmond Hill South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I find that kind of rich coming from the Liberal member. When the Leader of the Opposition was the housing minister, rent for a one-bedroom apartment was only $900. That is less than half of what it is today. As well, the average home price was $450,000, much lower than it is today, after the 11 years of Liberal housing hell that the Liberal government has created.
Let us talk about building homes. The Liberal Prime Minister, just like the previous Liberal prime minister, making promises he cannot deliver, promised he would build at a pace not seen in generations. He is going to build 500,000 new homes. Guess what. He has built only 5,000. His own agency says he has built only 5,000. That is less than 1%.
Do members know who is even more out of touch? It is the Liberal Prime Minister, who has told young Canadians they need to make some sacrifices, they need to become content with less and they need to lower their expectations.