Mike Morrice

[Business of Supply, May 11th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, the text of the motion before us today includes a connection between immigration and housing. It is a connection that we hear of often in my home province in Ontario as well.

I did not hear the member for Winnipeg North speak about housing in his speech. Can he speak to how important it is for governments at all levels, including the federal level, to invest more in housing across the board?

[Electoral Reform, May 10th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians overwhelmingly support creating a citizens' assembly on electoral reform. This past weekend, Liberal Party members strongly voted in support of it too, yet the Prime Minister will not make electoral reform a priority.

If not Canadians, and if not his own party, who else does the PM need to hear from before he is ready to act?

[Privilege, May 8th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, the member for St. Albert—Edmonton spoke about foreign interference with respect to one particular jurisdiction. Colleagues of ours, including the member for Edmonton Strathcona, have called out foreign interference with respect to other jurisdictions as well. Russia is one example.

Does the member for St. Albert—Edmonton feel we should be looking at a full national public inquiry into all matters of foreign interference, regardless of what jurisdiction it is from?

[Privilege, May 8th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, in particular, the member for Scarborough—Guildwood mentioned the need for a dose of humility in looking at the wider context of this situation. On that note, I wonder if he could comment about having a national public inquiry on foreign interference. Does he have a perspective to share on that? How much more information does he feel is required to support that?

[Climate Change, May 4th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario government is actively looking to go backwards in the climate fight by building and expanding natural gas-fired electricity plants. Natural gas is no climate solution. The federal government must step in to ensure that Ontario does not undo hard-fought gains in the midst of a climate crisis. Its upcoming clean electricity regulations must deter provinces from this kind of climate backsliding.

Will the minister commit to making these regulations stringent enough to stop natural gas expansion in Ontario?

[Business of Supply, May 4th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, that is just it. After all we have learned in recent days and weeks, my question to the parliamentary secretary is this: At what point is it enough? At what point have we already learned enough information that we do not need to wait for recommendations from a rapporteur? When is the need for an independent public inquiry on foreign interference pretty clear? When do we say that enough is enough?

[Business of Supply, May 2nd, 2023]

Madam Speaker, it is disappointing to me that today's motion speaks nothing of one of the largest root causes of the housing crisis we are in, and that is the financialization of housing. As I mentioned to the parliamentary secretary last night, and she knows it well, for every one new affordable unit being added to the market, we are losing 15 affordable units in the private sector. I would like to hear more from her on what she and her party are going to do to move urgently to address the financialization of housing.

[Housing, May 1st, 2023]

Madam Speaker, this is the second time I hear talking points about what the Conservative Party would do. I have less trust in that party doing more.

However, that is not the question I am asking. The bill does nothing for neighbours of mine who are living unsheltered. I am asking whether the government is going to follow through on the important promises that are being made in the midst of a housing crisis.

Yes, I am aware of what the homebuyers' bill of rights says. That is why I was asking about it. I appreciate the work the parliamentary secretary is doing to move further and faster. The homebuyers' bill of rights is one of many measures we need to make progress on the crisis we are in. Would she share specifically when it is going to be introduced?

[Housing, May 1st, 2023]

Madam Speaker, the fact is that promises matter. It is why a few weeks ago I asked the Prime Minister about an important promise made last April, just over a year ago now, that would have helped address the housing crisis.

I should pause to talk about that crisis that we are in the midst of. It is one that has led to the unsheltered population in my community more than tripling since 2018. It is also why we are seeing house prices across Kitchener and Waterloo now being eight times the median family income, whereas back in 2005 it was only three times as much. The fact is that house prices have gone up 275% and wages have not only not kept pace, but they are not even close; wages have gone up 42%. We can look at the fact that for every one new affordable unit being created across the country, we are seeing 15 affordable private units being lost.

Obviously, those investments are not adding up, so here is that promise from budget 2022, released last April. It said:

...that the government will engage with provinces and territories over the next year to develop and implement a Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights and bring forward a national plan to end blind bidding. Among other things, the Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights could also include ensuring a legal right to a home inspection and ensuring transparency on the history of sales prices on title searches.

These are good and important measures. The right to a home inspection, for example, would help protect buyers and give them assurance before making a purchase at a time when multiple bids are coming in and many are getting squeezed out; and eliminating blind bidding would help ensure that others know the other bids that are being made and would help reduce the inflated prices when homes sell; and yet, it has been silence over an entire year until budget 2023.

Here is what was promised in budget 2023 this past April: “The government is also working with provinces and territories on the development of a Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights,...”. Therefore, a whole year has passed and what do we have to show for it? We have actually gone backwards. We have lost the commitment to blind bidding being eliminated altogether; that is just gone. We have also lost a commitment for a date to actually do anything. This is at a time when other levels of government are moving with urgency.

Here is what the office of the federal housing advocate had to say in assessing the last budget. She said:

The newly unveiled Federal Budget is a sorry disappointment. It completely misses the mark on addressing the most pressing housing crisis this country has ever seen.

When I asked the Prime Minister when this promise would be fulfilled, he went on to tell me how great the promise is. Well, it is not good enough. We are in a crisis. It is one that is affecting neighbours of mine and, in fact, defining my community today and into the future. Therefore, tonight I would like to hear from the parliamentary secretary. In light of not having any commitment for a timeline for action being taken and the fact that it is now removed from this budget, will the parliamentary secretary answer my question and tell us when the federal government intends on actually introducing and moving forward with the homebuyers' bill of rights?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1, May 1st, 2023]

Madam Speaker, last year alone, the top five oil and gas companies in the country made record-breaking profits of over $38 billion a year, in part because they gouged Canadians at the pump, increasing their profits by 18¢ a litre. The carbon tax went up by 2¢ a litre.

If the member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame claims to be so enraged by the carbon tax, why does he never talk about these excess profits or doing anything about them?