Liberals shut down debate over proposed probe into B.C. condo buyout plan

Liberal MPs shut down a Conservative attempt to have the House of Commons ethics committee investigate the government’s plan to turn unsold condos into affordable housing in British Columbia.

The Liberal government joined with the B.C. government last month to announce a plan to have the governments buy up 2,200 vacant condo units to convert into affordable housing.

The Conservatives recalled the House ethics committee to probe the plan, and B.C. Conservative MP Aaron Gunn moved a motion at today’s emergency meeting dubbing the program a “bailout” for Liberal-connected developers who don’t want to sell their units at a loss.

The motion called for a series of meetings to determine who might have lobbied Ottawa for the plan, with requests to hear from the B.C. and federal housing ministers and condo developers in the province.

Liberal MP Fares Al Soud says getting more Canadians into affordable housing is a worthwhile use of the roughly $150 million in federal funds allotted for the project.

The Liberals used their majority on the committee to shut down further debate and the meeting was adjourned.

By Craig Lord