Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I think that display is precisely what Canadians are sick and tired of after nine years of a smug Liberal government that is not open and transparent by default. In fact, the Liberals' constant message is that they know best. They will tell us what we should think and do. They say to just ignore the Conservatives and the will of this place; the Liberals know best. That is the real mes…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague, a former mayor himself, for the question. The situation here is that we were in week three or four, whatever it was, and the Liberals' line of argument was that we should send this to committee. Of course they want to send it to committee. Canadians should know that this is all part of their grand scheme to keep things covered up. Committee is a grea…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, there is a very simple answer to that question. I, like the member, have spoken to the chief of police many times in my community and never told him what to do. The interesting thing about this, of course, is that the member did not ask the question just to get that answer. That is the simple answer. He asked that question to suggest that what we are trying to do is wrong. The fact of…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, my colleagues across the way are clearly very frustrated that we are still in this situation, but they know full well the reason we are still here is that a majority of members of the House, the people's House, have demanded documents. It is the unassailable right of this place to demand documents from the executive. The Speaker even ruled in favour of the demand that was brought fo…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, it is a bit remarkable that we are still here, four weeks later, and still quite delayed. I can hear some rumbling from some of my colleagues in the backbenches of the Liberal Party. I understand their frustration. They are frustrated because, of course, we are still waiting for the Liberal government to deliver documents that the majority of members—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this NDP-Liberal government, we know it is not worth the cost of housing. In fact, its record is so bad that 80% of young Canadians believe that home ownership is only for the very rich. Conservatives would axe the federal sales tax on new homes sold for under a million dollars, which would save Canadians up to $50,000, or $2,200 a year, in mortgage payments. The C…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when I was on council, we actually cut development charges by 50%. I also knew, as a mayor, that if we get bureaucracy out of the way, we get more homes built. These guys do not understand that. All they are doing is funding the bureaucracy. Since the minister has given billions of dollars to cities all across this country, they have raised development charges and housing starts have …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians know it is not worth the cost of housing. Nobody makes more money on housing than governments, and Canadians are paying the price. The good news is that common-sense Conservatives will deliver results. A Conservative government will axe the tax on new homes sold. On an $800,000 house, this tax could save a homeowner $40,000. Th…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Many will recognize this expression from the wise words of advice Uncle Ben gave to a young Peter Parker in relation to his alter ego, Spider-Man. While this proverb has certainly been popularized again in the modern era by Spider-Man comics, its meaning is found throughout human history, such as the tale of the sword hanging by a single …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that, yes, as a government, we would make sure that Liberal corruption and Liberal conflicts of interest were a thing of the past. The country is desperate for a Conservative government. We will fix the budget, clean up the fiscal mess here in Ottawa and get this country moving again.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, as I said in my earlier comments, the concept behind the Sustainable Development Technology Canada fund was good. It made sense. In fact, it was a very wise and competent prime minister who put it in place: Stephen Harper. I do not disagree with that. What I disagree with is Liberal corruption and insiders enriching themselves over the benefit of Canadians as a whole.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, the answer to the member's question is quite simple. The people of Canada are our advisers. This Parliament is supreme based on them sending us here. A majority of members in the House have demanded these documents. The Liberals should hand them over.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General of Canada launched a thorough investigation that revealed widespread conflicts of interest, corruption and abuse of Canadians' hard-earned dollars at Sustainable Development Technology Canada. On June 10 of this year, the House members, by a majority vote of 174 to 148, developed a motion calling for the production of documents from Sustainable Development Technolo…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, this is comical. It is hard to take the member seriously. He has voted consistently for four years to support the corrupt Liberal government. He stands in here saying we are horrible; we are this and that. His leader ripped up their agreement, saying the marriage is over because the Liberals are so corrupt, so bad and so evil. However, the New Democrats still vote to support them ever…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, as entertaining as the rantings of the member are, I must say that he stands in the House every single day and defends a Prime Minister who has twice been convicted of breaking ethics laws. I do not know how he can stand there with a straight face and continue to defend a corrupt government with scandal after scandal. Whether it is a spending scandal or an ethics scandal, the governme…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, my colleague describes it quite accurately. It is massive. I come from a lifetime of municipal politics, and in municipal law and municipal government, a conflict of interest is an incredibly serious thing. People can be removed from office for a conflict of interest, because representing the people is a sacred trust and any single conflict of interest is a breach of that trust. It is…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, members have heard our leader talk about the Conservative plan to hold local gatekeepers to account. Part of what he talks about is making sure that any transit infrastructure investments made by a federal government led by the Conservative party would in fact be held until there are results on the ground and we actually rezone properly and increase the density around transit. This is…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Perth—Wellington mentioned that I had a chance to visit his constituency over the course of the summer for a couple of days. It was a great honour to meet the folks in his community who are working hard to address homelessness and affordability. Of course, it is shocking to see the number of homeless encampments that exist not just in big cities but also in smaller c…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I can confirm for my hon. colleague that when I was on municipal council and before I was the mayor of Huntsville, I co-chaired the development of a women's shelter and helped get a men's shelter built. I did all kinds of work on affordable housing, and I did not block housing. In fact, I was the mayor and was the chair of the planning committee that made things happen. We approved de…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have said many times in the House that one of the biggest impediments to getting homes built is, in fact, cities, provinces and a federal government that tax the life out of homebuilding. Of the cost of every new home built in this country, 33% is government. Nobody makes more money on housing than government, so the NDP, the Liberals and all their lefty friends can continue to demo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I move that the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, presented on Friday, October 27, 2023, be concurred in. I will be sharing my time with the member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis. Colleagues may have noticed that it is a very brief motion. I will read it. The report is very simple. …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
My colleague should keep clapping, Mr. Speaker; they will love the change we are going to talk about. The Prime Minister said it was to be a life-changing, transformational national housing strategy. Of course, it has evolved over time to be more like $80 billion. Not all of it is from federal money; a lot has been from matching provincial dollars. However, the Liberals continue to talk about this…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I will just simply say that it gets a little tiring listening to the NDP demonize private sector developers, because we need literally trillions of dollars of investment in housing in this country. We are not getting that done without the private sector. I think it is time that the NDP and its friends stop demonizing private sector investment. Let us start finding ways to attract that…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I always find it entertaining when the member for Kingston and the Islands starts talking in here, because it is clear he does not understand the math. If announcing billions of dollars could solve the problem, we would not have a problem in this country. However, I have just given the Liberals' own data, which shows the situation is worse today than when they started. I do not care h…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is a question of whether we hold other levels of government to account or not, and cities have made it more expensive to build homes in this country. On average, 33% of the cost of every single dwelling unit built in this country is government. Nobody makes more money on housing than governments, so it is sanctimonious to stand in this place and say we need to give more money. We n…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, September marks the end of another stunning summer in Parry Sound—Muskoka, but what is often referred to as the playground of the rich and famous is not the reality for too many of my neighbours. We have master carpenters who build beautiful waterfront cottages, but cannot afford a home in the town they grew up in. We have resort staff who welcome guests year after year from all over …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) programs, CMHC's Affordable Housing Centre, and all other CMHC initiatives, between February 1, 2006, and October 1, 2015: (a) how many new units were built as a result of CMHC funding; (b) how much funding was provided to support the construction of non-profit or community housing and how many units were built; (c) how much CMHC fund…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) programs, CMHC's Affordable Housing Centre, and all other CMHC initiatives, between February 1, 2006, and October 1, 2015: (a) how many new units were developed as a result of CMHC funding; (b) how much funding was provided to support the construction of non-profit or community housing and how many units were developed; (c) how much C…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to government involvement, including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, in the creation of rental housing in Canada, including through both direct investments and bilateral agreements, between February 1, 2006, and November 4, 2015, broken down by program, province or territory, and by year for each part of the question: (a) how many new units were built as a result of federa…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to government involvement, including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, in the creation of rental housing in Canada, including through both direct investments and bilateral agreements, between February 1, 2006, and November 4, 2015, broken down by program, province or territory, and by year for each part of the question: (a) how many new units were developed as a result of fe…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is true.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is always a treat to rise in the House. I will just share a few thoughts about this budget, particularly as it relates to the housing portfolio. I would note that the housing section of the budget this year was significant. Unlike other years, housing was at the very beginning of the budget. I find it interesting because the government has talked a lot about housing for some time. …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, would anybody accept the premise of that ridiculous question? That is not the Conservative approach. The Conservative approach is to reward results, not to pay for promises, which is the Liberal approach. They keep spending money, borrowing money and pushing the cost of paying off that debt onto the next generation, which is already thinking they will never be able to own a home of th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the simple answer is this: Yes, I agree. There are lots of examples where governments can work together in partnership with community organizations. When I was the mayor of Huntsville, we gave land to different community organizations to build affordable and deeply affordable units. The federal government owns all kinds of buildings, thousands and thousands of buildings that are under…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I have a very quick answer for that member. The Harper government did not fail. In fact, houses cost half the price back then. Rent was half the price back then. In fact, with the crisis we have today, the genesis of it was with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau government. It was actually the Stephen Harper government that recognized we had a problem with homelessness in this country and th…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
That is a lie. That is not true. We cut them.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am not entirely sure how this relates to the private member's bill before us right now, so I am wondering if you could help us out here.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I was relieved, when this debate began, to hear the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing describe that we are in a housing crisis because, of course, a year ago, the Minister of Housing could not even use the word “crisis”; he could not be brought to do it. Something obviously happened over the course of the summer, and the Prime Minister's Office woke up and recognized …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this private member's bill. My friend, the member of Parliament for Battlefords—Lloydminster, is an amazing person and I have the opportunity to sit with her at our committee. I must say I never really imagined that I would have the opportunity to speak about this kind of thing in the House of Commons, but here we are talking about something …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Apartment Construction Loan Program and its precursor the Rental Construction Financing Initiative, broken down by year, by province or territory, and by type of end user (market housing developer, non-profit housing developer, municipality), between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2027-28: (a) how much funding has been allocated to the program; (b) how much funding has been committed;…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Rapid Housing Initiative, including Rounds 1, 2, and 3, broken down by year, by province or territory, and by type of end user (market housing developer, non-profit housing developer, municipality), between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2027-28: (a) how much funding has been allocated to the program; (b) how much funding has been committed; (c) how much funding has been transferred t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Affordable Housing Fund, and its precursor, the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, broken down by year, by province or territory, and by type of end user (market housing developer, non-profit housing developer, municipality), between fiscal years 2017-18 and 2027-28: (a) how much funding has been allocated to the program; (b) how much funding has been committed; (c) how much f…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, it is an honour to stand in the House and speak, as always, but of course on this special occasion I am particularly grateful to my dear friend and colleague from Battle River—Crowfoot, who just told a story about the legendary Stan Darling, former member of Parliament for Parry Sound—Muskoka, which of course is the magnificent part of this country that I am honoured to represent here…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal government has turned its back on rural Canadians and northern Ontario. Hard-working folks from Thunder Bay to Kapuskasing, to North Bay, Sudbury and the Soo want to own a home. They want the dignity of a good-paying job and affordable gas and food, but after eight years of the Prime Minister, we know he is not worth the cost because the results are worse than ever. Ho…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I genuinely appreciate the question from my colleague from Nunavut, but I think it is fair to say that this country, including every government in its history from the time it was founded, might not be judged positively on its relationship with first nations. What we are talking about today is not the history; it is the future and what the Conservative Party and the leader of the Cons…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I guess it comes down to this: It is important not just to listen to first nations and pretend to hear but to actually hear and to deliver results and action. In the Conservative Party, there is a commitment to do that and a demonstration of how we would do it if we do form government. First nations across this country can be reassured that they would have real leadership and real rec…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I actually think that what the leader of the Conservative Party announced yesterday is very much like how a municipality would operate. We need to listen, and we need to act and get it done. What I love is that what he has announced is a first nations model. It was presented to him by first nations, and it is an optional model that would simplify the negotiation between resource compa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, if this were not such a serious topic, that would literally be laughable. It is rich to hear the member talk about the urgency of these things, when it has been seven years in the making. The member has been part of a government for seven years, during which we have been talking about this, and now finally there is a race to get it done all of a sudden. I do not think the government u…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am not entirely sure how to answer that question. I am not sure who is the arbiter of who is indigenous and who is not. I really cannot answer the member's question.
Read full speech →