Ottawa, ON – Matt Jeneroux, Conservative Shadow Minister for Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, and Dan Albas, Conservative Associate Shadow Minister for Finance and Housing Inflation, and Luc Berthold, Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition and Québec Political Lieutenant, issued the following statement on the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation handing out over $48 million in bonuses:

“As Canadians are struggling to afford a home, the Liberals continue to bloat the pockets of blundering bureaucrats.

“Newly revealed documents show that the CMHC handed out over $48 million in bonuses over the last two years. As the average home price skyrockets from coast-to-coast-to-coast and rents across the country continue to become even less affordable, the CMHC rewarded themselves with over $48 million in bonuses.

“The CMHC exists for a single reason: to make housing affordable for everyone in Canada, and yet they are celebrating with exuberant bonuses as housing prices are up 28 per cent in the last year, with the average price of a home in Canada now costing over $825,000.

“Rather than spending $48 million on bonuses, the CMHC could have spent the money to help 80 families in Kamloops, 140 families in Edmonton, 70 families in London, or 195 families in Saint John buy a home.

“On top of not providing solutions to address Canada’s housing crisis, the CMHC has come under fire for funding a report by Generation Squeeze, which recommends taxing Canadians whose primary homes are valued at over $1 million.

“Yearly performance bonuses are based on just that — performance. Unfortunately, now is not the time for the CHMC to be patting themselves on the back while hard-working Canadians struggle to pay their mortgage, rent or save for a down-payment.

“Canadians who are worried about being able to afford rent or owning a home can’t afford more of the same failures from Justin Trudeau. Rather than spending money on bonuses, Conservatives believe that the best way to help Canadians realize the dream of homeownership is to help build more homes from coast-to-coast-to-coast.”