Poilievre demands ethics probe into Carney's condo plan

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has asked the parliamentary ethics committee to investigate the federal and B.C. provincial government's plan to purchase empty Metro Vancouver condos and resell or rent them at affordable prices. Poilievre wrote to the committee's chair on Sunday requesting an urgent meeting to launch a probe into potential conflicts of interest.

"Mark Carney is building an economy of carve-outs, bail-outs and hand-outs for the Liberal Club; and higher costs, debt and taxes for everyone else," Poilievre said in a statement.

Prime Minister Carney and B.C. Premier David Eby have framed the initiative as a boost to affordable housing supply. But critics argue that buying unsold condos at market prices amounts to a "bailout" for developers who made poor decisions.

On Thursday, Carney told reporters that developers did not "directly" ask him to pursue the plan and that the initiative was not pursued with the industry in mind. The Prime Minister said governments would provide about 10 per cent of the overall dollar value for financing available units, estimated at roughly $1.4 billion.

The partnership announced Thursday includes more than $5 billion in B.C. infrastructure spending, $3.2 billion to lower development charges for multi-unit housing by up to 50 per cent in priority communities, and $284 million to reduce barriers to new construction.

The ethics committee probe faces a structural hurdle: while Conservative MP John Brassard chairs the committee, the Liberal government restructured it following its return to majority status, giving Liberals the majority of seats. With five Liberal MPs and four Opposition members, the government can defeat any Opposition vote.