More Spending, Fewer Results: The Problem with Bill C‑26
Canadians are being told that the answer to housing challenges is always the same: more spending, more programs and more announcements. But after years of this approach, costs keep rising and affordability keeps slipping further out of reach. The real issue is not a lack of federal money—it is a system that has added layers of cost, regulation and delay, while driving up deficits along the way. Bill C‑26 continues that pattern, asking Parliament to approve another $1.7 billion without a clear plan to deliver results.
📺 Watch my question on why the government is cutting off debate:
“If the government wants $1.7 billion, Canadians deserve accountability—not a blank cheque and limited debate.”
Greg McLean, M.P.
The core problem with Bill C‑26 is that it repeats the same approach that has failed for years: more announcements and more money, without addressing the real barriers to building homes. The issue is not a lack of federal funding—it is the rising cost of construction driven by taxes, fees, regulations, and delays. Injecting more money into a system that is already constrained risks driving costs even higher, without increasing supply. Canadians have seen billions spent with little to show in terms of affordability. There is nothing in this bill that demonstrates this time will be different.
📺 Watch my question on accountability and why this must go to committee:
Equally concerning is the lack of oversight. Bill C‑26 hands the government a blank cheque, with no clear guarantee that the money will result in more homes being built. Parliament’s job is to scrutinize that spending, to test it at committee, and to ensure taxpayers are getting value for their money. Canadians are not asking for more bureaucracy or more announcements—they are asking for results. That means lowering the cost of building, speeding up approvals, and tying funding to real, measurable outcomes that actually restore affordability.
📺 Watch my exchange on why more spending isn’t fixing the problem:
I also raised a broader concern in the House about whether simply spending more money is actually addressing what’s happening on the ground. We’re seeing mismatches in the market—units being built that don’t meet demand, and projects stalled because the economics don’t work. That points to deeper structural issues that more federal funding alone won’t solve. Canadians deserve to know what outcomes this bill will deliver, not just how much money will be spent.
📺 Watch my question in French on the cost of deficits and who pays:
I also raised the issue of what all this spending actually costs families. Across the country, households are already paying thousands of dollars each year just to service government debt—money that doesn’t build a single home or improve affordability. Adding another $1.7 billion without clear results only adds to that burden. Before we commit more taxpayer dollars, Canadians deserve to know not just how the money will be spent, but whether it will actually make a difference.
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