Last week, the House of Commons Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) Committee passed a motion, introduced by Tony Martin, to resume clause by clause consideration of Bill C-304, an Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for all Canadians.
If passed, Bill C-304 would require the federal government to come together with other levels of government, indigenous communities, the non-profit sector and other stakeholders in order to establish a national housing strategy. This is a bill that we have supported since it was first introduced and we are eager to see it passed as law. For more of our thoughts on the bill, read my previous blog posting on the subject.
Before Parliament was prorogued, the committee had considered a number of amendments, including one which would allow the province of Quebec to opt out of a national housing strategy. One of the bizarre realities of our federal Parliament is that it includes a party whose raison d’être is to keep the province it represents separate from the rest of the country. But it is our reality, and for the most part, our Parliament functions in spite of this.
If you’ll pardon the oversimplification of a complex topic, the Bloc Quebecois is opposed in principle to any initiative that is ‘national’, that requires them to do as the rest of the nation does. At the same time, the province of Quebec has taken strong, positive steps in the areas of poverty reduction and affordable housing and therefore do not feel that they need to be bound by national initiatives.
However, they recognize how important it is for the rest of Canada to take action in these areas. So instead of adopting a “this has no bearing on us and so we won’t support it” stance, they have shown tremendous good will in helping ensure the passage of Bill C-304 through the House of Commons. Before prorogation, they introduced an amendment that would allow Quebec to opt out of a national strategy – thereby allowing them to support the bill with the numbers it would need to pass.
But, as worded, the amendment was problematic for the government. So, while Parliament was prorogued, the Bloc was working with housing groups in Quebec to come up with a modified amendment that would both satisfy the Bloc and also be more palatable to the government – allowing them to opt out, but requiring them to meet international standards and obligations with respect to housing.
For certain, it is not a simple issue. It is one that is rife with strong sentiments on all sides and that requires us to navigate our way through murky waters of politics, jurisdiction, constitutional rights and duties… but navigate them we must.
This is an opportunity for Canadians to see Parliament at work for the good of our communities and our nation.
It is my sincere hope that when the committee meets today, we will see representatives from all of the political parties displaying a willingness to come together, to work constructively towards a common ground that will allow this bill to emerge from committee stronger and pass in the House of Commons. Coming together in order to come together, if you will, because that’s all the bill would require them to do – work together with other levels of government, with indigenous communities, with the non-profit sector to ensure that every Canadian has access to housing that is safe, secure and dignified. Granted, there would be much to work out in terms of logistics. However, I believe Canadians of all stripes are prepared to face that challenge in order to find collaborative solutions to address the lack of affordable housing in our country. Surely this is a goal that we can all agree upon.