What are the main parties’ housing platforms?
CBC’s Marina von Stackelberg breaks down what the main federal parties are promising to do about housing in Canada. You can also compare the party platforms at cbc.ca/partyplatforms.
The Latest
Liberal Leader Mark Carney spoke in Delta, B.C., where he reiterated his housing plan, including doubling the country’s current rate of housing construction.Carney also downplayed recent comments he made about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, saying they were “lighthearted.”Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre focused on tax loopholes today, promising a task force to crack down on corporate evaders.Poilievre also told reporters that his massive Edmonton rally last night, which the Conservative campaign said drew 12,000 people, shows people want change.NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pitching a permanent ban on foreign homebuyers, and said he’s “confident” he’ll keep his seat in B.C.’s Burnaby Central riding.Updates
April 8
35 minutes ago
Counter-tariffs for vehicles effective at midnight
Verity Stevenson
New vehicles are parked on a lot outside a Honda assembly plant, in Alliston, Ont., on April 1, 2025 — a day before U.S. President Donald Trump announces a series of tariffs expected to have wide-sweeping effects on global trade. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)Hello, I’m your afternoon live page writer.
The federal government has announced that its counter-tariffs in response to the U.S. levy on the Canadian auto industry will come into force tomorrow, just after midnight.
The government says these retaliatory tariffs are designed to have a much greater impact on American goods than Canadian ones.
This is how they work:
A 25 per cent duty will be imposed on fully-assembled vehicles imported into Canada from the U.S. that are non-compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade (CUSMA). About 90 per cent of cars coming into Canada from the U.S. are compliant.A car is CUSMA-compliant if at least 75 per cent of its contents are made in North America, among other criteria.For compliant vehicles, Canada’s counter-tariffs only apply to the parts that are American-made.If a car is 40 per cent American-made, 40 per cent of it will be subject to a 25 per cent levy.If a car is not CUSMA-compliant, Canada’s 25 per cent tariff applies to the whole car. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he will set up a “remission framework” for auto producers to incentivize production and attempt to maintain jobs. He said details will be announced for that at a later date.
2 hours ago
Carney committed to gender parity in cabinet
Holly Cabrera
Chrystia Freeland, left to right, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and Anita Anand arrive for a swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday, March 14, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)Carney was asked by a reporter about why only a little more than one-third of the Liberal Party’s candidates are women.
“Numbers are numbers,” Carney said, in French. “I’m committed to having a balanced cabinet during the government’s term.”
He said there are currently 23 cabinet ministers and 11 of them are women.
2 hours ago
Carney says trade negotiations with Trump could start day after election
Holly Cabrera
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)Speaking about U.S. tariff threats escalating, Carney said that in advance of Trump’s tariff announcement last week, he and Trump agreed that negotiations could take place “literally, potentially starting the day after the election.”
“I think we have to be realistic that during an election period, that we ensure that we have the ability to respond to counter-tariffs, but that is different than negotiating any element of a new agreement during what is a caretaker period of the government,” Carney said.
2 hours ago
Carney downplays comments about Smith as ‘lighthearted’
Jenna Benchetrit
‘I have a lot of respect for the premier,’ Carney says of Danielle Smith
Liberal Leader Mark Carney was asked if he’s worried his past comments about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will fuel western alienation on Tuesday. Carney said the comments were lighthearted and that he has ‘a lot of respect for the premier.’
During a recent rally, the Liberal leader joked it would be a “bad idea” to put Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on U.S. network Fox News to advocate against tariffs.
For context, the Liberal campaign recently seized on Smith’s comments to a far-right U.S. outlet, when she said Poilievre is “in sync” with Trump’s administration and suggested there are similarities between Poilievre and Trump.
Smith responded, saying she’s noticed that “progressive men” like Carney and former prime minister Justin Trudeau claim they’re in favour of strong women “until they meet a Conservative woman.”
Carney tried to downplay the remarks today. “It was a lighthearted comment. I have a lot of respect for the premier,” he said, adding that he and Smith worked together last month on the first ministers’ agreement to develop a national trade strategy.
He added that a Liberal government would support opportunities for Alberta.
“My government will spare no effort to ensure that the people of Alberta, the people of Canada realize those opportunities,” he said.
2 hours ago
Carney highlights housing plan in B.C.
Holly Cabrera
A loader moves past cut logs outside a sawmill facility in West Kelowna, B.C. (Matt Mills McKnight/Reuters)Carney promoted his party’s housing strategy again today, after first announcing it last week.
He said that if re-elected, the Liberal government would put in place its Build Canada Homes initiative to invest $25 billion in building affordable homes at scale while prioritizing the use of Canadian lumber.
We’ve heard the announcement before, but it’s pertinent in B.C., where many are priced out of the housing market.
The Liberals say they would cut municipal development charges in half for multi-unit residential housing for a period of five years to lower homebuilding costs as well as reintroduce tax incentives.
They say they would invest $1 billion to make homes more sustainable and climate resilient.
Last week, the NDP also proposed retrofitting homes with green technology.
3 hours ago
Carney takes campaign to Intelligent City
Catharine Tunney
Carney, right, tries out a robotic nailer for pre-fabricated homes at a campaign stop Tuesday. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)Hi, I’m Cat Tunney, following the Liberal campaign this week. Leader Mark Carney is now speaking from Delta, B.C.
The backdrop today is Intelligent City, a Vancouver company that produces mass timber housing, using robotics. Carney took a spin on the video-console-like tool.
It’s part of Carney’s pitch to use innovation to scale up housing.
3 hours ago
NDP campaign bus off the road
Ashley Burke
The NDP campaign is using a plain, white bus while its campaign bus is in the shop. (Ashley Burke/CBC)I’m a senior reporter with the Parliamentary bureau covering the NDP campaign this week. The NDP’s campaign bus is in the shop in Vancouver for repairs. Journalists boarded a plain white replacement bus this morning to head to Singh’s announcement.
The orange campaign bus wrapped in Singh’s face and “in it for you” slogan appeared to overheat yesterday. The bus shut down twice briefly at the side of the road, and the bus driver was overheard saying there were cooling issues.
3 hours ago
Singh calls for review of $7B Blackstone-Rogers deal
Holly Cabrera
Singh speaks at the SOS Medicare conference in Ottawa on Feb. 24, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)Singh is calling on the federal government to “initiate an immediate review” of a sale between Rogers Communications and U.S. investment management firm Blackstone.
Last week, Rogers announced Blackstone will “acquire a non-controlling interest in a new Canadian subsidiary of Rogers that will own a minor part of Rogers wireless network” — a $7-billion equity investment.
Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, “an American billionaire, owner of Blackstone, has finalized a deal to buy up Canadian telecommunications infrastructure,” Singh said.
“This is fundamentally wrong,” Singh said. “We have to defend our Canadian infrastructure, especially telecommunications. Keep it Canadian. Keep it ours,” he said.
3 hours ago
Singh doubles down on housing promises
Holly Cabrera
Singh said if elected his party would permanently ban “big-money investors” from buying up Canadian homes.
Singh has already said the New Democrats would provide federal funding for provinces and municipalities, as long as they ensure new homes remain affordable to Canadians.
“In addition, we’re going to end the loopholes that allow speculators to flip homes year after year. That’s got to stop,” he said.
3 hours ago
Singh ‘confident’ he can win his own riding
Jenna Benchetrit
Singh says he’s ‘absolutely confident’ he’ll win Burnaby Central
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, speaking from Vancouver on Day 17 of the federal election campaign, is asked if he’s confident he’ll win the riding after a poll suggested his seat is in jeopardy amid lagging support for his party in British Columbia.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is taking questions from reporters in Vancouver. He just said he’s “confident” he’ll be able to continue representing his riding in Burnaby, B.C.
The NDP is lagging in the polls, with CBC’s Poll Tracker currently projecting the party could win just five seats this election.
As my colleague David Thurton has reported, Singh recently dropped messaging that asserts he’s running for prime minister.
One reporter noted today that Singh doesn’t have any rallies planned while he’s in B.C., and asked whether that’s because the party is concerned it won’t be able to draw enough people.
Singh said his party is focused on showcasing policy ideas. “We’re looking forward to showing people the choice they have in this election,” he said.
