Viviane Lapointe
Viviane Lapointe
Member of Parliament for Sudbury
MP Lapointe Raises Concerns with Conservatives’ Proposed Housing Plan with Conservative MPs on record for supporting Liberal’s Housing Program
November 1, 2024

SUDBURY - Member of Parliament for Sudbury, Viviane Lapointe, is calling Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s proposed housing tax cut a limited and ill-conceived plan.

Earlier this week, the Conservative Party proposed a tax cut on new home sales under $1 million. Several housing experts have criticized the plan indicating it would not guarantee the savings would be passed onto home buyers. The plan also doesn’t incentivize any increase to the housing supply. It also fails to provide help for first-time home buyers.

Poilievre said the tax cut would be paid for by cancelling the Housing Accelerator Fund, which currently provides funding to municipalities for the construction of new homes, as well as the Housing Infrastructure Fund – a $5 billion program which will help fund residential water and wastewater development in municipalities.

Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser confirmed yesterday that Conservative MPs have written directly to him, asking him to grant their municipalities funding from the very fund their leader wants to scrap.

“What this shows us is that once you scratch the surface of the Conservatives’ slogans, you are left with some poor and misguided concepts,” said Lapointe. “The Leader’s housing proposal goes against not only members of their own party, but also the interests and well-being of their communities.”

Lapointe further points out that the other fund Poilievre wants to cut – the Housing Infrastructure Fund – is identical to the one the Ontario Conservative government has put in place to spur new housing developments across the province. It was that fund that brought Premier Doug Ford to Sudbury this week where he announced a historical $35 million in funding for the city of Sudbury.

“I’m not sure how Mr. Poilievre thinks new housing developments can be built without basic infrastructure like water and wastewater,” points out Lapointe.

A Globe and Mail column from October 29th, also takes aim at Poilievre’s housing plan, stating “if there’s one thing housing policy analysts agree on, it’s that there’s no single fix for the housing crisis. It requires investment in infrastructure, which Mr. Poilievre’s plan appears to axe without replacement…So when Mr. Poilievre says the new policy will lead to “less money for big banks and greedy governments” and “more money for you and your family,” Canadians should be skeptical. They should be asking for proof.”

The Globe’s Editorial Board weighed in further. “Revoking much needed infrastructure money is a bigger mistake. New sewers, watermains and the like are essential to literally underpin new housing for generations ahead. Further, that federal cash is contingent on reforms such as density and freezing local development charges for three years. It’s good policy.”

Lapointe says the Liberal Federal Government’s housing plan is working, with some regions seeing a 65% increase in housing starts. In just two years, Sudbury received over $100 million in federal funding for housing. The Manitou project atop the Brady bypass is one of the largest housing projects underway in Ontario. “Sudbury deserves swift and concrete action on housing, and that’s what I’ll continue to focus on.”

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