O'Toole touts plan to build a million homes in 3 years
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole paid a visit to Nepean on Thursday, bumping elbows with the Tory candidate trying to unseat the riding's two-term Liberal MP and touting their party's platform pledges on housing.
O'Toole no doubt would have liked the focus to remain on what Conservatives are offering to Canadians struggling to find and afford homes, but he also faced questions about his party's stance on abortion.
“We have a comprehensive plan that will actually fire up supply,” O'Toole said of his vision to build one million homes in the next three years, up from about 270,000 annually, he added.
One element of this would involve letting go of at least 15 per cent of the federal government's real estate portfolio for housing. O'Toole cited redevelopment of government land at CFB Rockcliffe, which includes affordable-housing units, as an example of the possibilities.
The Tory platform also includes a ban for at least a two years on home purchases by foreign investors not living in or moving to Canada, and measures to make mortgages more accessible.
But O'Toole also faced a number of questions from reporters about another element of the Conservative platform. Does the promise that the Tories will “protect the conscience rights of health-care professionals” mean he thinks it's acceptable for a doctor or nurse to refuse to provide a service like abortion or to provide a referral for such a service to patients seeking one?
O'Toole reiterated his pro-choice stance and said he wanted to ensure access to such services was available across the country. However, he said, “I think we can also defend conscience rights of our incredible men and women on the front lines in our health-care system,” particularly as expanded access to medically assisted death is being considered.
While Nepean has a Progressive Conservative representative at the provincial level in veteran politician Lisa MacLeod, it sent Liberal Chandra Arya to Parliament in the past two elections, with 45.9 per cent of the vote in 2019, compared to the Conservative's 33.5 per cent.
The riding's Conservative candidate in this election, government-relations consultant Matt Triemstra, said he probably looked “a bit more like the community” than his Conservative predecessors, who were fairly young.
“I've been married for 17 years. I've got three kids. They're all in sports . ... That, I think, is Nepean, is young families, driving minivans, getting to and from soccer,” Triemstra said. “And affordability is one of those things that is just really important to them.”
The local ballot-box question, in his eyes, is a simple one. “For Nepean families: Is your life better off now than it was six years ago, under Liberal representation?
“Everything has gone up. The cost of living has gone up. I don't see Chandra very active or speak very much in the House of Commons. I think we need a fresh voice for Nepean, one that stands up for families, one that cares about accountability, mental health, public service. And I think I'm that guy.”
Arya, meanwhile, said he would keep doing exactly what he's been doing for the past six years. He has met and heard from thousands of people, the former high-tech executive said, and “the people of Nepean know me.”
As for his activity on Parliament
Hill, Arya said he has spoken on “important matters” such as the budget — the focus for him was the knowledge-based economy — and Palestine, asking the federal government to take concrete action toward finding a two-state solution). And the transcripts, he noted, reflect his active engagement on the standing committee on international trade.
When it comes to getting Canadians affordable housing, Arya said his party was doing great things. At the macro level, there's a Canada-wide national housing strategy. In Nepean, he points to investments such as $2.7 million to support a new affordable housing complex by the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa in Bells Corners.
“So we have actually put money where our mouth is.”