Liberal members of the House ethics committee voted Tuesday to shut down debate on a Conservative motion to investigate the Carney government's controversial plan to purchase thousands of unsold condos in British Columbia from developers. The motion was tabled by Conservative MP Aaron Gunn and called for testimony from Vancouver developer Bob Rennie, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, B.C. Housing Minister Christine Boyle, and representatives from Build Canada Homes, BC Housing, and Brookfield Asset Management, among others.
Emergency meeting called during summer recess
The Conservatives requested an emergency meeting during the summer recess to launch an ethics probe into the program, which would see Build Canada Homes and BC Housing partner to convert 2,200 unsold condo units in the province into affordable housing. The plan, announced unexpectedly, has drawn sharp criticism from housing advocates and opposition parties, who have labeled it a “bailout” for developers who made poor bets on rising real estate prices.
Liberal MP Fares Al Soud moved a motion to adjourn debate, arguing that summer is not the ideal time to tackle the issue and that committee members should be in their constituencies. The motion carried with the Liberal majority in support.
Allegations of Liberal fundraiser ties
Gunn’s motion stems from a letter sent to the committee by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, alleging that several developers attended a Liberal party fundraiser in Vancouver in February, paying $1,775 per ticket. The motion also sought testimony from Duncan Wlodarczak, chair of the Liberal Party of Canada in British Columbia, who currently serves as chief of staff to the president of Onni Group, a Vancouver-based real estate developer. Wlodarczak previously worked for Vision Vancouver, the party that Housing Minister Gregor Robertson represented when he was the city’s mayor.
“Canadians have very real concerns about the Liberal plan to bail out billionaire condo developers in the fifth most unaffordable housing market in the entire world,” said Gunn. “All this begs some pretty obvious ethical questions that I think deserve answers, such as if the Liberals didn’t campaign on this policy, why are they suddenly deciding to pursue it now?”
Liberal defense and counter-motion
Liberal members of the committee criticized the Conservatives for calling for an investigation into a program whose full details are not yet public. Liberal MP and vice-chair Linda Lapointe said Opposition MPs were making baseless accusations. Al Soud argued that the 2,200 homes would be a significant addition to the affordable housing supply, noting that only $150 million of federal taxpayer money is allocated towards the initiative.
“Canadians are intelligent, and they will make their own minds up through the facts, and that is exactly how it should be,” said Al Soud before moving to adjourn debate. He then attempted to table another motion to set the agenda for future committee meetings, including a statutory review of the Lobbying Act, the use of artificial intelligence in algorithmic pricing, and a review of the Privacy Act.
Background on the program
The program, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who previously chaired Brookfield Asset Management before entering politics, has faced significant backlash. Critics argue it unfairly benefits developers at taxpayer expense, while the government maintains it is a necessary step to address housing affordability. The controversy continues to fuel political tensions as the ethics committee remains deadlocked on the issue.
