Josée Bégin made a statement and, with Isabelle Marchand, answered questions.

Bonita Zarrillo moved, — Given that,

• while families are increasingly making hard choices about paying rent or keeping food on the table, corporate landlords have been buying up previously affordable apartments and raising rents to increase profits for investors;
• one of Canada’s largest corporate landlords, Dream Unlimited, has admitted to using AI software that the U.S. government has alleged allows landlords to illegally coordinate rent increases, and that the software is commonly used in Canada;
• today the biggest real estate investment firms collectively own close to 20 percent of the purpose-built rental units in Canada;
• the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, also known as PSP Investments, has significant investments in multi-family housing in partnership with Starlight Investments;

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities undertake a study of the role of financialized landlords on rising costs in Canada’s rental market, including how the use of algorithmic pricing tools is contributing to rent increases and how pervasive this practice is across the Canadian rental market; that the Committee invite President of Dream Unlimited Michael J. Cooper, CEO of Starlight Investments Daniel Drimmer, CEO of Boardwalk REIT Sam Kolias, CEO of Mainstreet Equity Bob Dhillon, CEO of Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CAPREIT) Mark Kenney, President and CEO of PSP Investments Deborah K. Orida, the Commissioner of Competition, and other experts and stakeholders; that the Committee hold a minimum of four meetings and report its findings and recommendations to the House; and that the government table a comprehensive response to the report.

Debate arose thereon.

Peter Fragiskatos moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Chad Collins, Michael Coteau, Rosemarie Falk, Peter Fragiskatos, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Kyle Seeback, Tony Van Bynen, Bob Zimmer — 9;

NAYS: Louise Chabot, Bonita Zarrillo — 2.

At 11:59 a.m., the meeting was suspended.

At 12:05 p.m., the meeting resumed.

Pierre-Antoine Harvey and Courtney Glode made statements and answered questions.

Bonita Zarrillo gave notice of the following motion:

That in the opinion of the committee the Canadian Labour Code be amended to close a loophole that annuls existing labour contracts or collective agreements when there is a change of employer for subcontractors working at Canadian airports by implementing amendments outlined in NDP PMB C-330 titled An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (successor rights and obligations — airports), and that the committee report this to the House.