House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 77% of the vote.
Housing May 10th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the announcement we made on co-ops in Ontario applies to the other provinces. We will deal with it every time we negotiate with the provinces.
In the case of British Columbia as soon as negotiations start we will definitely discuss them. The same arrangements that were given to the Ontario co-ops can definitely be offered to the British Columbian co-ops.
National Housing Act May 7th, 1999
moved that Bill C-66, an act to amend the National Housing Act and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Act and to make a consequential amendment to another act, be read the third time and passed.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to speak today to Bill C-66, an act to amend the National Housing Act and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Act at third reading.
I would like to begin by congratulating members of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Government Operations for their hard work on this bill. I would also like to congratulate and thank my hon. colleague, the parliamentary secretary, the member for Mississauga Centre, for the work she did in leading this bill through the House and committee.
On March 11, my colleague said that the proposed amendments support the Government of Canada's efforts to make government more efficient and provide better service to Canadians.
The benefits of this bill are threefold. Canadians will benefit from these changes because CMHC will be able to respond to shifts in consumer demand and market conditions. They will also benefit from the availability of low cost funds and access to mortgage financing no matter where they live in Canada.
Second, CMHC will be able to better promote Canadian housing products and services abroad. This will result in job opportunities for Canadians, here and abroad.
Third, CMHC will be able to provide better service to Canadians.
Every one of CMHC's core activities, whether it is mortgage loan insurance, assistance for housing for low income Canadians, housing research or export promotion, works in support of the Government of Canada's objectives for the housing industry. Over the years CMHC has been involved in every aspect of housing, from building units, to direct financing, community planning, mortgage insurance and now trade development.
The achievements of CMHC have brought enormous benefits to Canada and indeed to many of our own families and communities.
Through partnerships among all levels of governments, community organizations and the private sector, we work to allow Canadians to obtain the shelter they need.
One of the most important aspects of these amendments is the inclusion of the public policy mandate for CMHC's mortgage loan insurance.
This change will provide access to mortgage financing at the lowest possible cost for all Canadians, regardless of where they live in Canada.
This new legislation will remove unnecessary restrictions to CMHC's mortgage loan insurance business. This enhanced flexibility will enable the corporation to respond to the housing needs of Canadians more effectively. With these changes CMHC will be a more competitive and a more innovative mortgage insurer.
The legislation will allow CMHC to operate its mortgage loan insurance program on a more commercial basis. This will ensure that CMHC is able to compete fairly and effectively with any private mortgage insurer, while enabling CMHC to fulfill its public policy objectives.
By guaranteeing competition in this sector, we can ensure that Canadians have access to the best possible price, and a greater number of choices in home financing products. Furthermore, they will benefit from the availability of low-cost funds and access to mortgage financing no matter where they live in Canada.
With the introduction of its 5% down payment program, CMHC is already an industry leader. Originally a program for first-time homebuyers, repeat purchasers can now also take advantage of this popular program.
I would like to give the House an idea of just how many Canadians depend on this mortgage loan insurance product to fulfill their dream of owning a home. Since its introduction, over 600,000 Canadians have used CMHC's 5% program to buy their first home. Surveys show that 70% of these buyers could not have purchased their home at that time without the reduced down payment option.
Overall, in the past year alone, CMHC has helped Canadians gain access to over 300,000 homes with the use of mortgage loan insurance.
This was done at no cost to the government. In fact, CMHC policy requires that it be self-financing, relying solely on the premiums and fees it charges over the long run.
With the introduction of CMHC's electronic mortgage loan insurance approval system, known as EMILI, most loans can be approved in one hour or less and in most cases within minutes.
The EMILI system has now been expanded to include new houses, to the benefit of builders, lenders, and consumers alike. That means Canadians can become homeowners much faster and much easier.
This automated system is just one example of how CMHC is working with various members of the housing industry, in this case financial institutions, brokers and realtors, to contribute to the health of the sector. In recent years CMHC has been approached to support many innovative and original home financing products. Unfortunately, under the current National Housing Act, CMHC has not been able to bring the benefits of some of these new types of home financing products to the marketplace.
Once the new NHA legislation is in place, CMHC may consider products such as reverse equity mortgages. This flexible new product allows older homeowners to use the equity in their homes to obtain funds while allowing them to continue to live in their homes.
We all know that the availability of affordable, accessible housing is a critical factor in enabling seniors to live independently, and to remain active members of the community.
CMHC would also be able to develop non-mortgage financing for remote areas where the land registry system does not facilitate mortgages. It would also facilitate similar financing arrangements on Indian reserves where restrictions exist on providing land as security for mortgages.
CMHC mortgage loan insurance has not only helped Canadians become homeowners, it has also been the key to the health of the housing industry in Canada. By fully protecting lenders against default on the part of borrowers, mortgage loan insurance encourages investment in residential construction which results in the creation of numerous jobs in this key sector of our economy.
For every $100 million spent on construction, 1,500 person years of employment are created both directly and indirectly. Behind every construction worker are many other workers producing materials needed to build a home.
With this new legislation, CMHC will also be able to better respond to opportunities within national and international markets.
These proposed amendments will further increase the corporation's success in housing export promotion. Reaching out to foreign markets will mean opportunities for Canadian businesses and jobs for Canadians.
For example, by working with the housing industry on projects such as demonstration homes, CMHC will be able to contribute to the industry's marketing efforts.
The timing for these business development efforts could not be better. Around the globe, the total demand for housing is in the tens of millions of units per year. Looking at this figure, it is obvious that there is great potential in a number of untapped markets.
This is where Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation can help. These amendments will work to further increase its ability to develop international links through its membership in team Canada. They will also reinforce CMHC's ongoing commitment to provide assistance to foreign countries through the establishment of sound housing systems and building practices.
With the help of CMHC through its export promotion role, the thousands of firms that make up the Canadian housing industry can become even bigger players in international trade. Canadian entrepreneurs will be able to look to CMHC for marketing support in projects overseas.
As a result of these amendments, export promotion will become an increasingly important component of CMHC's research and transfer activities.
It is an area that holds considerable promise for expanding business opportunities for our housing industry while still promoting employment opportunities for Canadians.
The proposed amendments will enhance CMHC's ability to play a role as a promoter, facilitator and adviser in the field of export, as well as in the field of housing.
For more than 50 years, our corporation has played a vital role in helping Canadians to become homeowners. It has made an important contribution to the growth of the entire economy and the key sector of construction. It has also been a leader in research.
For all these reasons, I urge members to pass this bill so that the corporation can grow and develop in this new era of globalization, while continuing to serve the housing needs of Canadians.
Division No. 414 May 5th, 1999
moved that the bill be concurred in.
Public Works April 29th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I repeat that I do not know the specifics of the case. Therefore, I cannot accept the premise of the member of parliament. If his question was really serious, he could have given us notice and I would have looked at the details. I will look at the details and I hope I can provide an answer as soon as possible.
Public Works April 29th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of the specific case that the hon. member is citing. However, there is a policy that whenever we are authorized by the courts to dispose of property, it is disposed of by public tender. That is the policy.
Government Contracts April 28th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, I am aware of the judgment. My department, in co-operation with the justice department, is analysing the judgment. Whenever we complete the analysis we will make our decision known.
Canada Post April 23rd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, there was a study done and it made lots of recommendations. One of the recommendations was not to close the post office.
Does the member now advocate that we should close the rural post offices so that we can sell Purolator? It is very important for Canada Post to have a commercial mandate so that we can keep our postal system intact in every community.
Canada Post April 23rd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, let me inform the hon. member and the House that most international postal organizations have over the past few years acquired courier companies, whether it is in France, in Germany, in England or elsewhere.
Canada Post and Purolator Courier operate in total independence with two different boards of directors. In 1998 the Competition Bureau assessed the situation and said that there was no cross-subsidization. Every year the government requires Canada Post to hire an auditing firm to conduct an audit to certify every year its financial statement. There is no—
Government Infrastructure April 23rd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the policy is very clear. When we decide that we have a property we do not need any more, we have to offer it to the provincial authorities and then the municipal authorities. If there is no demand from that side then we have to offer it to the public.
If the hon. member has some other organizations that are interested, I am sure we could negotiate and through the tendering process look at their offers as we usually do.
Canada Post April 20th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, let me tell the House that the story that has been running on the Internet concerning Canada Post and electronic mail is false. Yes, Canada Post is testing an electronic mail system with Cebra Inc. It is not ready yet. When it is ready I will announce it, and any post mail box will be free of charge for every citizen.