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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 339

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 19, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 339 - Sep/19/24
Ms. Louise Chabot
  • Sep/19/24 11:16:19 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would return the question to him. He is completely right that Quebec is in charge of housing. As far as federal agreements are concerned, the federal government plays a supporting role, but it cannot go over Quebec's head. What I am saying is that social and community housing are not the federal government's priority right now. Of the hundreds of programs that it put in place under the national housing strategy, only one worked really well, and that is the rapid housing initiative, or RHI, a rapid housing creation program under which community and housing organizations can apply for subsidies. That is what it should focus on. We have proposed all kinds of solutions. The CMHC's current strategy focuses on affordable housing. However, affordability is not clearly defined, since the definition varies from one program to another. We need to review that definition. Affordability should mean no more than 30% of an individual's income, not the median income of a community.
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Context: House Hansard - 339 - Sep/19/24
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Lib.)
  • Sep/19/24 3:07:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour for his ongoing excellent work in the province of Nova Scotia. I was in Halifax earlier this week to announce the negotiation of a $500-million loan guarantee with Nova Scotia Power. That will take the projected rate of increase in electricity rates in Nova Scotia from what was going to be 19% next year to the rate of inflation. It is an important step forward. The federal government is working to ensure affordability with respect to energy on a go-forward basis. We need to work to ensure affordability, reliability and a non-emitting grid in every province and territory in this country.
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