Photo: Ethan Cairns The Canadian Press In the speech announcing his housing plans, Justin Trudeau stressed that he wanted to help young people.
Isabelle Porter in Quebec
March 27, 2024
- Canada
“It’s no, it’s no. » The government of Quebec firmly opposes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to create a new Canadian Tenants Charter and the equivalent of a uniform lease for all of Canada.
“There is no question of tolerating this new invasion of Quebec’s areas of jurisdiction,” declared the Minister responsible for Canadian Relations, Jean-François Roberge, who criticizes Ottawa for “meddling in our business.”
Minister Roberge says the best way for Ottawa to act against the housing crisis lies elsewhere. “If the federal government really wants to contribute […], let it do its job, let it reduce temporary immigration, let it reduce the number of asylum seekers right now,” he said, noting that 55% of Canada’s asylum seekers are in Quebec.
Ottawa's proposed charter would require landlords to provide a “clear history” of an apartment's rent so tenants can “negotiate fairly,” the federal government announced. However, the Legault government has always opposed the creation of a public rent register as demanded by various civil society groups.
The Trudeau government also wants to establish a “national standard rental contract”.
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The Minister of Housing, France-Élaine Duranceau, refutes the idea that a Tenants' Charter can go further than its housing reform.
“We acted with “Law 31”, by tightening clause G, by making it more restrictive, by introducing punitive damages, which will force landlords to indicate what previous rents were paid,” she said. argues.
“Perhaps he is inspired by what was done in Quebec in his requests, but on our side, we acted on all points,” she added.
Force banks to recognize reliable tenants
Ottawa's plan also targets banking institutions to force them to recognize the history of tenants who pay their rent on time when granting a loan on the purchase of a home.
This could take the form of improving their “credit rating”, the Prime Minister argued during an exchange with the media on Wednesday. “They’re going to be able to access mortgages eventually and maybe better interest rates to buy a house. »
Joined by Le Devoir, the Desjardins Movement is not yet ready to say what the repercussions of such regulations could be. “Considering that these are preliminary announcements and that we have not yet had the opportunity to review all of the details surrounding these announcements, we will reserve our comments until their terms are revealed.” , indicated his spokesperson.
Prime Minister Trudeau's announcement in Vancouver was made in anticipation of the federal budget due on April 16.
In his speech, Mr. Trudeau emphasized that he wanted to help young people. “I went into politics with a focus on young people,” he said. “I’ve spoken to too many young people these days for whom the future isn’t as bright as it was for previous generations. »
Another question of skills
This new dispute comes as Quebec and Ottawa are already clashing over drug insurance, the dental care program and immigration powers.
Questioned by a journalist about the relevance of encroaching again on provincial jurisdiction, Mr. Trudeau responded that the housing crisis affected the entire country and that “financial institutions were under federal jurisdiction” .
In addition, Ottawa also plans to create a $15 million “tenant protection fund” to finance “provincial legal aid organizations” that protect tenants’ rights.
Quebec's position on these two aspects of the plan was more nuanced. Mr. Roberge conceded that the banking sector was under federal jurisdiction and suggested that Quebec could claim its share of the 15 million intended for organizations.
“It is certain that if there are additional funds that will be added, which affect the field of jurisdiction, of course we want a right of withdrawal with compensation quickly,” said said the minister.
With Clémence Pavic