Peter Fragiskatos

[Housing, October 22nd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to thank my friend, whom I have known for a number of years now. I know his points come from a sincere place. He cares about his community; specifically, he cares about the issue of housing.

He began by talking about the 1990s and cuts that were made. He is right. Previous governments, Liberal and Conservative, let the country down when it comes to the issue of housing. The current government has sought to do something quite different by, really, being the first government really in a generation to understand that there is a federal role with respect to affordable housing.

The member also mentions the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Specifically, he mentions the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report. That is a very good thing because that report talks about the Reaching Home initiative, among other things. This is the signature program when it comes to the federal government's response to helping communities on the issue of homelessness.

What do we know about Reaching Home? As a result of it, 87,000 people who were on the street are no longer on the street now. That includes people in the member's community of Kitchener Centre. These are people who are housed now with supportive housing. What does that mean? It means having mental health support on site and support for physical health care, such as nurses, on site. Quite often, job training programs are provided on site or very close to the facility that is being funded. That is how we get things done. That is how we build homes to ensure people have a roof over their head.

The member talks about encampments. The current federal government put forward $250 million in budget 2024 to support communities. Having encampments is a scourge. It is not acceptable. We have to respond. We have been clear that provinces need to match the funding in order to maximize the number of communities that can be supported.

I care about this. The government cares about this. I think all members of Parliament do. However, the record is clear that we are responding in a way that the Conservatives would never do. They talk about cuts. In fact, the Conservatives presented what they call a housing plan, which is a little more than something written on the back of a napkin that the Leader of the Opposition put forward in a private member's bill and that does not talk about homelessness at all.

There is more to do. We are committed to that kind of a vision of social justice, and we will get it done.

[Housing, October 4th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, the member is an experienced member of the House. Surely he knows that rent is a provincial area of jurisdiction.

However, we have not turned away from our responsibility to help renters at this time. We have added to supply. We have waived GST on the construction costs of apartments for middle- and low-income Canadians. The Conservatives would reimpose that. We need to add supply in the context of high interest rates. The measure is doing that. We put forward a renters' bill of rights as well. This is the first time the federal government has acted in that direction.

We are going to continue to support renters.

[Housing, September 27th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, there they go with the personal attacks. What do people say about those who engage in personal attacks? It is that they have no meaningful ideas to offer.

Conservatives should talk to the insurance sector, talk to the mortgage sector and talk to the homebuilding sector about the challenges facing the country and what the government has done. The recent changes that the member raises on mortgages are meaningful. They will add to supply. We have measures to increase supply more generally. We are working with municipalities and not-for-profits to lower the number of encampments in this country.

We will continue to work, and they will continue to say nothing.

[Housing, September 27th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about increasing supply of housing. I point out that the housing accelerator fund, which is the signature program of this government to increase supply, incents zoning changes at the local level. Restrictive zoning is the single-biggest impediment to getting more supply on the market.

What did this government do? We have put forward funding for housing and infrastructure. In exchange, communities need to make zoning changes. Almost 200 have done exactly that. That member voted against it, not just in general terms, but for her own community of Kelowna. On top of that, she has voted against homelessness funding for her community in Kelowna. She is not serious.

[Housing, September 27th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the member ought to look at the CMHC report that she just referenced a bit more closely. In major cities, like Montreal, for example, rental construction is up by 106%. I would also point out that the reason for that is the waiving of GST on the costs for rental construction. That is, as we speak, putting more supply into the market. In order to bring costs down, we need more supply, but the Conservatives are not in favour of that measure.

The member talked about encampments. The Conservatives oppose everything this government has done to lower the number of encampments in this country.

[The Economy, September 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to take away the rebate to Canadians, they will have to explain that to Canadians. What they will also have to explain at some point is that they lost 800,000 affordable homes when they were in office. The former minister of housing, who is now the Leader of the Opposition, had no plan on housing and never mentioned homelessness once, and when it came time to vote in favour of ensuring zoning changes at the local level through federal dollars that would incent that change, he voted against it. They all did.

They do not care about the young people the member just mentioned. They never cared. It is more right-wing populism.

[Housing, September 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, these slogans are clever but they are empty. It is empty rhetoric on the other side, as always.

In fact, we should take a look at the CMHC's report from today that puts a spotlight on Montreal: a 106% increase in rental construction. Why? Because GST has been waived by this government to ensure greater supply and to incent builders during a difficult time. He has no idea how to incent that sector. He is good at running around the country insulting mayors and putting a spotlight on the homeless, but coming up with no ideas on that. It is more right-wing populism. Those members have nothing to say.

[Housing, September 24th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I work with that member on the House of Commons committee responsible for housing. I know she is sincere when she raises these points, but the member's party has no plan. In fact, every single member on the opposite side said no when they had a chance to vote in favour of measures to confront the challenge of homelessness and the crisis that we see on our streets. They said no to more supports for communities. They said no to more supports for not-for-profits. There have been 87,000 people taken off the street as a result of investments we have made. We have more to do, and we will do it.

[Housing, September 24th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, whether it is my community of London, Ontario, or any Canadian community, where homelessness exists, it is unacceptable. It is a tragic situation. Encampments should not exist. When the Conservatives stand up and raise these points, they do a good thing. What is not good is that they do not have a plan. It is all a sideshow. It is an act on the other side. They do not care about people who are on the street. If they did, they would have something to say on the matter of homelessness. Instead, they use people who are homeless as props here in the House of Commons. Conservative members will film them in encampments and post on social media, but they have no plan. They do not care.

[Housing, September 23rd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to our colleague, where is the Conservative Party's plan for housing and homelessness?

They do not have a plan. When it comes to getting people housed and making sure there are more homes, what has this government done? It has lifted the GST off the construction of apartments and taken 87,000 people off the street with wraparound supports.

The Conservatives go to encampments to make videos and use people as props. That is not what we are going to do. We are going to stand by Canadians.