Author: Uday Rana
Higher housing supply, not lowering home prices, are the solution for Canada’s housing crisis, Canada’s new housing minister said on Wednesday.
Gregor Robertson, the former Vancouver mayor who was sworn in as housing minister in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new cabinet on Tuesday, attended the first meeting of the new cabinet on Wednesday.When asked by reporters if he thinks home prices need to go down, he told reporters: “No, I think that we need to deliver more supply, make sure the market is stable.”Robertson said his work as housing minister will focus on building up supply of affordable housing in Canada.“We need to be delivering more affordable housing. The Government of Canada has not been building affordable housing since the ’90s and we’ve created a huge shortage across Canada,” he said. Story continues below advertisement
“That’s where the big need is right now and I’m very encouraged that the prime minister and our commitment right now in government is to double construction and focus on the affordable side.”Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday had blamed Robertson for high home prices in Vancouver.“If this is the new blood that Mr. Carney is bringing into that cabinet, then sadly for Canadians, nothing is going to change and the role of the Conservative Party will be more important than ever,” Poilievre said.
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Poilievre’s criticism of prime minister’s pick for housing minister
Carney was asked on Tuesday why Robertson, whose term as mayor saw property prices in Vancouver skyrocket, was the right choice for housing minister.
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He was asked if the appointment was an indication that the government does not want property prices to go down. Story continues below advertisement
“You would be very hard-pressed to make that conclusion,” Carney said in response.“From everything I’ve said and what our priorities are, we have a strong view on housing, a very clear policy developed with a number of members of the team, including with Mr. Robertson. And I’m thrilled that he is in the new role because he brings the type of experience that we need to tackle some aspects of this problem.”Data from Greater Vancouver Realtors shows that the price of a benchmark home in the region more than doubled during Robertson’s time as mayor from December 2008 to November 2018.Robertson argued Wednesday that many cities across Canada saw similar surges during that period.Over the same period, the national benchmark home price rose by 78 per cent, data from the Canadian Real Estate Association shows.
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New cabinet role puts former Vancouver mayor back in the spotlight
Robertson took to X on Wednesday to defend his housing record. Story continues below advertisement
“I’ve led one of Canada’s largest cities through economic shocks and a deepening housing emergency after decades of disinvestment,” he wrote in a thread marking his appointment to cabinet and thanking Carney for the opportunity.“In the face of those challenges, we delivered record levels of affordable housing, led the country on supportive housing and co-ops, built one of the strongest urban economies, and became a global leader in sustainability,” he continued.Robertson added that “the work ahead is urgent and immense. We have a bold, ambitious plan to tackle this challenge—building affordable homes, strengthening infrastructure, and building an economy that truly works for everyone.”Former prime minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023 had said prices need to stop rising.“I think one of the things that we know is that prices, house pricing, cannot continue to go up,” said Trudeau at the time. “It’s not fair to young people who feel like cities are turning their backs on them when housing is that expensive. Young people feel like cities don’t want them. They feel like they can’t succeed.“Last year, though, Trudeau had also said housing needs to retain its value.—With files from the Canadian Press
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he opposes Alberta separatism but added that Albertans have a “right to be frustrated” with Ottawa.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday shortly after Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his new federal cabinet, Poilievre was asked whether he was willing to “publicly denounce Alberta separatism and the Alberta separatist movement.”“I’m against separation. I’m a born and raised Albertan. I love Canada. I think we need to unite this country,” he said.“Albertans have a lot of legitimate grievances. I mean, let’s be blunt.”Poilievre, who lost his long-held riding of Carleton in last month’s federal election, will be running again in Battle River—Crowfoot in Alberta in an upcoming byelection after party MP Damien Kurek announced his intention to resign the seat to get Poilievre into the House of Commons. Story continues below advertisement
Poilievre said Alberta’s oil and gas industry had been “under attack” for the last decade.“They’ve lost two major pipelines, [and] a $20-billion mine. There’s a new, ridiculous energy cap that’s going to drive jobs and production south to the United States of America. There’s an industrial carbon tax that’s going to kill the industry,” Poilievre said.“Frankly, Albertans have a right to be frustrated.”
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Poilievre faces similar ‘longest ballot’ protest in Battle River-Crowfoot byelection
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has introduced a bill that would make it easier for Albertans to launch referendums on various topics — including splitting from Canada.
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Smith has pointed to growing alienation in her province and frustration with Ottawa, saying those wanting to separate “are not fringe voices.”Poilievre said Ottawa “can’t tell Alberta to just pay up and shut up.”
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“Albertans want to be part of a united Canada, but they deserve to be treated with respect, and they deserve to be honoured for the immense contribution that they make to this country,” he said.
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Indigenous chiefs accuse Premier Danielle Smith of stoking Alberta separatism talk
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations said talk of Alberta separatism is “irresponsible” and that it’s “not smart” for politicians to make statements about it without consulting with First Nations first.National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said on Monday that any effort by Alberta to split the country would be “unconstitutional” and a “direct affront to the sacred treaties that predate the province itself.”She says First Nations have never ceded their inherent rights to the land and resources, and separatism would disregard treaties and undermine the foundation of Canada.— With files from The Canadian Press Advertisement
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