Clement turns down affordable housing bill

File photo.

MUSKOKA-PARRY SOUND – Those concerned with the lack of affordable housing and homelessness, not only locally, but nationally, were disappointed to see Bill C-400 defeated in the House of Commons on Feb. 27, due to a lack of support from Conservative members.
The private member’s bill called for a new national social housing strategy. NDP Member of Parliament Marie-Claude Morin initially brought it forward in 2012, as Canada is the only member of the G8 countries without one.
However, Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Tony Clement, who was the federal government’s spokesperson on the bill, said the government already has a strategy.
“It comes down to this,” he said. “This was a reckless measure by the NDP that would result in massive new tax hikes and massive new spending where the federal government is already spending large amounts of money. We transfer $12 billion a year under the Canada Social Transfer to the provinces for things like affordable housing, we also have a separate program, where hundreds of millions of dollars a year contribute to
affordable housing.”
Clement said the additional $5.5 billion, as estimated by Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, that the bill would have entailed would threaten the fiscal stability of the country, and as a result threaten its economic recovery.
“We’re the only G8 country that has strong provinces with constitutional responsibilities too,” he said. “These are constitutionally the responsibility of the provinces. You could say we’re the only country in the G7 that doesn’t have a national health plan too, that’s because the provinces have health plans. That’s the way our constitution is constructed. Provinces tax us a lot for social services and for health care and they are to deliver excellent service. That’s their mandate.”
Leilani Farha, executive director of Canada Without Poverty, said she was dismayed Clement would engage in what she called partisan rhetoric, and said that as a private member’s bill, it couldn’t allocate funds without government approval.
“It was ruled by the speaker to involve no government spending,” she said. “The president of the Treasury Board knows that private members’ bills can’t spend government money without executive approval. Bill C-400 was a commitment to create a strategy to address homelessness and inadequate housing - a problem that is a serious issue in Mr. Clement’s own riding. Suggesting that it was a ‘dangerous NDP spending scheme’ simply because it commits to helping those who are disadvantaged is offensive.”
Farha was in Geneva, Switzerland, last week preparing for Canada’s second Universal Periodic Review at the U.N.
Also in support of Bill C-400 moving forward was the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.
“The Community Health Nurses of Canada had flagged it as a determinants of health issue, an opportunity to improve health for a group of Canadians who are particularly vulnerable, that is those who are under-housed or homeless,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health. “And we do know from research, people who lack housing have particular health challenges, or (their) health status is reduced because of it, and suffer from quite a wide range of diseases at a higher rate than is generally seen in the Canadian population. So to be able to have a housing strategy overtime that would improve access to safe, affordable housing would be a way to improve health for such people.”
Some of the health concerns related to a lack of housing include the increased odds of contracting respiratory and infectious diseases, substance abuse related ailments, injuries and mental health illnesses, according to public health experts.
“It was an opportunity to move in the right direction,” said Dr. Gardner. “We will continue to look for other opportunities to promote affordable, safe, accessible housing. We are working in Simcoe Muskoka where we can on that front.”
The health unit has given input to the County of Simcoe and its review of housing, and is working with the District of Muskoka on its review.
“It can be seen as merely a social issue, a quality of life issue, an economic issue; the perspective we can bring is it is also a health issue,” he said.
Clement remained adamant the federal government is fulfilling its responsibility and said affordable housing and homelessness strategies are the responsibility of individual provinces.
“I would say we’re doing our job. Part of our efforts have meant the McVittie house was built (in Bracebridge), additional affordable housing units have been built in Huntsville and Parry Sound,” he said. “We are doing our job, it’s up to the province to do its job as well. I would say we’re living up to our responsibilities in an efficient and responsible manner, which is in contrast to the NDP, who have reckless and unaffordable plans.”

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