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Adjournment Proceedings

2026-05-25 Sitting 121 Showing 1–2 of 2

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 ↗

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.

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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.

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