In a surprise campaign vow, Conservative leader echoes NDP, Vision Vancouver.
Advertisement
Trudeau said Harper has failed to justify what would amount to limitations on Canadians’ rights.
Stephen Harper is doubling down on the Conservative strategy of confronting the threat of global terrorism – a strategy his Liberal rival dismisses as little more than campaign posturing.
“A reelected Conservative government will commit to collecting comprehensive data on the foreign non-resident purchase of Canadian real estate”, said Harper, adding his government would coordinate with provinces to ensure non-resident investment “supports the availability and affordability of homes” for Canadians.
Harper seeks to institute similar restrictions. “The Harper government seemed completely uninterested in this until today – he’s had 10 years to do something about this and did nothing. Now the rubber’s really starting to hit the road with that one – all of a sudden you can’t understand what’s happening in your housing market”.
Real-estate firms and homeowners have profited immensely as prices for detached houses and luxury properties have soared in recent years – boosted in part by tens of thousands of millionaires from China who arrived in the last decade on formal “immigrant investor” programs launched by the federal and provincial governments.
Harper hinted he might do the same. “If such foreign, nonresident buyers are artificially driving up the cost of real estate and Canadian families are shut out of the market, that is a matter we can and should do something about”, he said.
Some have argued that placing the blame for rising prices speculatively on foreigners has racial overtones that unfairly single out Chinese immigrants, many of whom are in fact long-time permanent residents here.
The release also claimed that Canadian politicians Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair have made “excuses for jihadi terrorism and have publicly stated that they would end Canada’s mission to combat ISIS [Islamic State] and protect religious minorities”.
He also promised to collect more data on foreign home ownership.
But he applauded Harper’s promise, saying it will perhaps give researchers like himself a better understanding of the issue.
Advertisement
Building up Speaking of real estate, housing starts are up in B.C.-despite that not being the case elsewhere in Canada.
