Housing Minister Gregor Robertson declined to say whether he owns investment properties, dodging repeated questions in the House of Commons about his personal involvement in the real estate market.
Blacklock's Reporter says when pressed by Conservative MP Scot Davidson (New Tecumseh–Gwillimbury, Ont.), Robertson refused to confirm whether he is a landlord or has profited from housing investments.
“I am here to answer questions on behalf of my department,” Robertson said during debate on his budget estimates.
Robertson’s office offered no comment on Thursday, and gave no explanation for the minister’s refusal to answer.
The Conflict of Interest Act allows cabinet ministers to purchase or hold real estate as long as they disclose mortgages or acquisitions.
Davidson demanded transparency, citing figures showing that 30% of Canadian homes are now investor-owned, up 50% since 2015.
“Canadians need answers,” he said.
Instead of answering directly, Robertson emphasized the government’s efforts to improve housing affordability. “
Homes need to be for living in. They need to be for residents and not investors,” he said, repeating variations of that line several times during the exchange.
When Davidson asked, “How many investment properties does the Minister of Housing own?” Robertson replied, “We need to build homes that people live in, not invest in.”
Asked how many rental units he personally owns, the minister again declined to respond, repeating that he was there to speak on departmental matters.
Robertson told MPs the government remains committed to boosting housing supply and lowering rents. “We are working at scale to drive supply up to bring housing costs down for Canadians,” he said.
The issue of real estate speculation by public officials has dogged the Liberal caucus before.
In 2022, Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed (Vancouver Granville), a former parliamentary secretary for finance, disclosed at least five rental property mortgages.
During the 2021 election, he admitted to buying and selling 41 homes over 15 years.
When asked by reporters how much he profited, Noormohamed said, “I can’t give you an exact number.”
