Hello Canada – Liberal Party Leader Mark Carney pledged on Monday to return the federal government to the housing construction sector, while the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, introduced a National Energy Corridor to expedite the approval of major infrastructure projects
The leaders of the two rival parties described these plans as national projects to confront the United States, which is threatening the Canadian economy with its continued imposition of new tariffs
Canadians head to the polls in a general election on April 28
The Liberals propose doubling the pace of construction to nearly 500,000 new homes per year, unleashing the power of public-private collaboration on a scale not seen since the end of World War II
The government will establish a new program, “Building Canada Homes,” to serve as a developer of new housing projects and provide more than $25 billion in funding to innovative builders of prefabricated homes in Canada
At a campaign stop in Van, Ontario, Carney said the new approach aims to “build faster, smarter, and more affordably.
The Conservatives’ planned National Energy Corridor will expedite approval of transmission lines, rail, pipelines, and other vital infrastructure
At an event in Saint John, New Brunswick, Pouliver emphasized that Canada needs major projects connecting its regions, east and west, in light of US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs
“We need to be able to move our resources through Canada, bypassing America, so we can increase our trade with each other and sell our resources to the world,” he said
All eyes are on Wednesday, when Trump is likely to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on countries, including Canada, over various alleged trade practices
Carney emphasized the need for Canada to fundamentally rethink its economy in response to Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats
“We are facing the biggest crisis of our lifetimes, and we will work hard to get through it,” Carney said on Monday
Poilievre had focused his campaign on the need for change, warning that Canadians could not afford to re-elect the Liberals after nearly a decade in power
