Finance committee  Thanks very much for the question. Indeed, the housing accelerator fund is being implemented right now with a number of municipalities signing on. The target for that program is 100,000 units. Its uptake has been quite positive. The national housing strategy, turning to another

Finance committee  I think the finance minister is talking about the various programs and initiatives the government has put in place to build more homes, including incentives for creating new purpose-built rentals and tax incentives to make the math work better for builders. This legislation is

Finance committee  It provides the department that can then move forward with policies in the future.

Finance committee  I really am conscious of the spirit of the question and also that my answers could be repetitive—

Finance committee  This legislation is about creating a department. It's not about the programs the department runs.

Finance committee  The national housing strategy would be.... I'm sorry. I'm prepared to speak to the legislation. I don't have the familiarity with CMHC's existing programs. It is a Crown corporation.

Finance committee  The reason I'm having a challenge answering your question is that you're linking the policy outcome with the legislation. The legislation is about—

Finance committee  The act creates departmental legislation for the department of housing, infrastructure and communities. This is a transformation of the existing Department of Infrastructure Canada. The Department of Infrastructure Canada has existed since 2002 by order in council. This legislati

Finance committee  There is no revenue associated with this bill. It's about mandate and the responsibilities of the new department.

Finance committee  That's correct.

Finance committee  What this bill does is.... It's not about program interventions. It's not about measures to introduce new spending on—

Finance committee  I think one of the distinctions I'd like to make is between the creation of a department with a certain mandate—one that, according to this legislation, will persist and provide the basis upon which governments of the day will institute their policies related to infrastructure an

Finance committee  That's a question that relates to government policy and program interventions, as opposed to the legislation.

Finance committee  Why the government is proposing this change is to bring together things that are related and things where you can add value—

Finance committee  —by treating things like infrastructure, communities, housing—