TranslatePolitics.ca

Recent debates

8 latest topics

06-18 Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act 57 statements 06-18 Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act 19 statements 06-18 Arab Heritage Month Act 5 statements 06-18 The Economy 15 statements 06-18 Government Priorities 2 statements 06-18 Government Priorities 2 statements 06-18 Housing 12 statements 06-18 The Environment 2 statements

Adjournment Proceedings

2026-05-25 Sitting 121 Showing 1–4 of 4

In adjournment proceedings, the Conservatives criticized the Liberals for distorting the housing market through subsidies and red tape, leading to an overheated market. The Liberals defended their approach, touting large investments in housing and infrastructure to improve affordability. Both sides traded blame without discussing substantive policy solutions.

Official Hansard ↗

Tamara Jansen

Conservative 7:15 p.m.

“I want the government to stop messing with the housing market. They drove up demand without enough supply. Now everything's a mess and they won't admit it.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canada's housing market today looks a lot like a young man driving a road racer down an icy highway in the middle of winter. The engine roars, the tires grip and the driver thinks he is in control and so he presses harder on the gas. Imagine a souped-up, five-litre Mustang with more horsepower than common sense. The speed builds, but suddenly the tires lose traction. The steering becomes unstable, and the vehicle starts sliding. A smart driver would ease off carefully and regain control but, just like a reckless teenager, the Liberal government does not believe in restraint. It believes Ottawa can control markets better than Canadians themselves, and that arrogance is exactly what has driven Canada's housing market into the ditch. First, the Liberals went full throttle on immigration and population growth without building the homes, infrastructure, roads, utilities or skilled labour force needed to support it. Canada added well over one million new residents in a single year, one of the fastest population growth rates in the developed world. The Liberal government drove demand through the roof while supply was trapped behind taxes, red tape, permitting delays and development charges, forcing prices to explode. Young families were suddenly bidding against impossible demand. Rents soared and house prices spiralled. Ordinary Canadians who worked hard and played by the rules found themselves locked out of home ownership altogether. The Liberals treated the housing market like a driver flooring a powerful car on black ice and then acted surprised when the whole thing started fishtailing. Then, after overheating the market, the Liberals pulled the emergency brake, cutting immigration and locking us in a dangerous skid. At the peak, they brought one million international students into the country and then abruptly, this year, came to a screeching halt of less than half. However, when a car is already sliding, hitting the brakes too hard does not restore control; it sends the whole vehicle spinning. Adding to that chaos, the Liberals' so-called build Canada approach threw billions of dollars at the catastrophic crash site. Once again, the Liberals believed they could centrally plan the economy from the top down. They encouraged prefab factories and construction suppliers to tool up for enormous future projects that have not materialized. Billions were announced, bureaucracies expanded, but uncertainty exploded. Development costs climbed even higher. Builders were crushed between rising interest rates, government interference, expensive regulations and constantly changing rules. Instead of stabilizing housing, Liberal central planning created even greater instability. Now, we are seeing the devastating consequences. Across the Fraser Valley, we have warning lights flashing everywhere. Thind Properties, Maskeen Group, Brivia Group, Coromandel Properties, Square Nine Developments, 14 Property Group, Wade Development, and Everest Group are struggling with receiverships, insolvencies, foreclosures, creditor protection, stalled projects, laid-off workers and families left wondering whether the homes they paid for will ever even be built. This is what happens when government distorts markets long enough that confidence itself begins to collapse. Conservatives believe in a common-sense approach. We believe that the people who know how to build homes are builders, not politicians. We believe government should stop choking developments with taxes, delays, gatekeepers and ideological central planning. We believe in getting government out of the way so the private sector can do what it does best: build. Canadians do not need more politicians grabbing the steering wheel. They need a government with enough wisdom to finally let the country get back on track. Will the Liberal government admit that its housing policies are the reason Canadians cannot afford a home?

View on ourcommons.ca ↗

Caroline Desrochers

Liberal 7:30 p.m.

“The government spent a lot of money on housing. We made new programs with long names. The GST is lower now. These programs will help. We will get more houses faster. We work with partners -- many, many partners. I'm filling time with kind words and not really saying anything anyone could pin down later.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is focused on making housing more affordable and on making home buying more attainable for Canadians. Through budget 2025, we are making generational investments of $25 billion over five years for housing and $115 billion over five years for infrastructure. These strategic investments will build major infrastructure and homes, and create lasting prosperity, empowering Canadians to get ahead. That is why the Prime Minister launched Build Canada Homes in September 2025. It is a completely different way to build affordable housing for Canadians. The new federal agency is going to catalyze a more productive housing industry, something that sets it apart from anything that has been done previously. There are already agreements for over 10,000 units to be built over the coming months, and some of those shovels are already in the ground. Build Canada Homes is not going to act alone. It will work in close partnership with developers, manufacturers, provinces, territories, municipalities and indigenous partners to get housing financed and built. The goal is to make it faster and easier for builders to get big projects off the ground and deliver homes for Canadians right across the country. Young families and first-time homebuyers deserve the same opportunity to own a home their parents did. That is why we are taking action to provide Canadians with immediate relief through targeted tax measures. We are cutting the goods and services tax on new homes at or under $1 million for first-time homebuyers, delivering savings of up to $50,000. We are lowering GST on new homes between $1 million and $1.5 million. These initiatives, despite what the Conservatives are saying, will help more Canadians buy their first home. We are also helping first-time homebuyers through the tax-free home savings account that helps Canadians to save for their first home, which the Conservatives voted against. We are building on the success of programs delivered through the national housing strategy, like the $4.4-billion housing accelerator fund, which incentivizes municipalities to eliminate barriers to building that can be big obstacles to building fast. We are investing in a purpose-built rental supply through the apartment construction loan program. We are also taking action to help the community housing sector acquire at-risk rental apartment buildings, ensuring they remain affordable over the long term with the launch of the Canada rental protection fund. It is unacceptable for anybody in Canada to go without safe, affordable and inclusive housing. That is why the federal government is committed to solving the housing crisis and taking a leadership role on housing. The Government of Canada is removing barriers to construction, reducing risks for home builders and making significant investments in non-market housing in partnership with developers. We are working closely with builders, investors, indigenous partners and all levels of government to implement innovative solutions to get the job done. Together with partners, the Government of Canada is leading transformative changes in Canada's housing sector.

View on ourcommons.ca ↗

Tamara Jansen

Conservative 7:30 p.m.

“Liberals messed with the housing market. They pumped it up, then let it drop. Now everything's unstable and Canadians suffer.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, what we are witnessing now is the consequence of years of Liberal market distortion through subsidies, red tape and unpredictable government policy. The Liberals overheated the housing market with record immigration levels and developers responded by investing billions, hiring workers and putting shovels in the ground based on the conditions the government created. Then Ottawa suddenly slammed on the brakes. After years of overheating demand, the Liberals abruptly reversed course without a plan, leaving developers watching the market shift beneath projects already under way as rental vacancy rates jumped more than 40% year over year. Housing projects take years to plan and build. The government cannot pull one policy lever to flood the market and then yank another to choke off demand and expect builders, renters or buyers to have any stability. This is a failure of central planning. The Liberals created this distortion and now Canadians are paying the price.

View on ourcommons.ca ↗

Caroline Desrochers

Liberal 7:30 p.m.

“We're spending a lot of money on housing programs. We'll get those houses built. The federal government is in charge.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to solving the housing crisis. We are working together with all our partners to use every tool available and get the job done. The housing accelerator fund and the apartment construction loan program are just some of the key programs that are helping Canadians and helping developers get apartments and homes built. Build Canada Homes is going to partner across the housing ecosystem to drive the development of affordable housing, supporting a mix of income needs. We need to increase our stock of affordable housing. There is no way around it. We are at 4%. We need to get to 8%. It will catalyze modern methods of construction as part of a national effort to increase housing construction, restore affordability and reduce homelessness. The federal government is back in the business of building homes for Canadians. We are taking bold action to build a housing market that works for everyone and to create lasting, meaningful change across the country.

View on ourcommons.ca ↗

What they said. What they meant.

Recent debates