Officials acknowledged a new housing bill will not create more houses, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “You’re putting in a plan to build more houses,” said Conservative MP Philip Lawrence (Northumberland-Peterborough South, ON) in a speech at the House of Commons Finance Committee. “I am asking a very simple question for the taxpayers of Canada.”While the Canadian government was moving forward with a housing bill, Lawrence asked how many houses will be built because of this. He said he had to have some number. Bill C-59 includes Division 11 to introduce a separate Department Of Housing, Infrastructure And Communities Act. It states Infrastructure Canada would oversee “all matters related to housing and the reduction and prevention of homelessness over which Parliament has jurisdiction.”Assistant deputy housing minister Gerard Peets said Bill C-59 followed a 2002 cabinet order that created Infrastructure Canada. “This is a transformation,” said Peets.Since Peets approved of this change, Lawrence asked how many homes will be created. “It’s not about measures,” he said. By supporting Bill C-59, Lawrence said he suspected Peets wanted to build more houses. “This is about the framework,” said Peets.Lawrence asked why the Canadian government was making this change. “To bring together things that are related and things where you can add value,” said Peets. He said the reason he was having a challenge “is because you are linking the policy outcome with the legislation.”“That is exactly what I am doing,” said Lawrence. Under Bill C-59, Lawrence said they “have established it is going to build a new bureaucracy.” Peets had done that.“This government is great at building bureaucracy,” he said. “But you haven’t given me one number — can you table something with this committee — as to any measurable result that will come from these changes.”Liberal MPs objected to this questioning. “This in a court of law would be called badgering,” said Liberal MP Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport, ON). Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) data showed the country needs to build a record 741,000 new homes each year through the end of the decade to reach a 2030 affordability target. CMHC said housing starts last year totalled 223,513. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in January cabinet helped millions of Canadians with the National Housing Strategy. READ MORE: Trudeau's National Housing Strategy failed to meet its goals“We are going to continue as we have done it,” said Trudeau. “There is no moment to stop.”
