Back to the minister: Last week, residents of Sunnydale housing complex in Waterloo were notified of a 5.5% rent increase happening on January 1. SpiceCart, the owner of Sunnydale, received an exemption from the Landlord and Tenant Board to raise tenants’ rents over 2.5%. Many Sunnydale residents live on fixed incomes and are vulnerable, and quite a few are new refugees to our region. Given the lack of affordable housing options in the region, this is a cruel thing to do.

Why does this government refuse to bring in stronger rent control protections, which would protect tenants of Sunnydale and renter households across the province?

Speaker, the member knows I’m not going to comment on a case that was before the Landlord and Tenant Board. It’s a tribunal and it’s impartial, and there’s no role for me to respond for that.

But what I will say is, over and over again, every time this government places a policy on the table, whether it be through regulation or legislation, that member and New Democrats vote against it. Whether it be the 2018 initiative that resulted in a record amount of purpose-built rental being constructed, whether it be Bill 184, the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, they voted against it. And even in Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act—one of the best incentives is that DC exemption for family-sized rental accommodation, 25%. Again, every time the government puts forward an incentive to build more rental accommodation, that member and the NDP vote against it—every single, solitary time.