Erskine-Smith sets goals as new Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities; ready for next election whenever it comes

By ALAN SHACKLETON

What is known as this year comes to an end is that there will be a federal election in 2025 and Nathaniel Erskine-Smith will be once again be running in it for the Liberals in the riding of Beaches-East York.

He will be seeking to hold on to the seat he first won for the Liberals in the 2015 federal election, and was re-elected to in the 2019 and 2021 votes;  all of them with Justin Trudeau as leader of the federal Liberal Party.

Who will be leading the Liberals in next year’s federal election, and the exact timing of the vote, are unknown at this time. However, a federal election must take place no later than October of 2025.

On Friday, Dec. 20, Erskine-Smith was named Canada’s new Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities by Prime Minister Trudeau during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

In an interview with Beach Metro Community News on the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 23, Erskine-Smith said the last week or so in Ottawa has led him to reconsider his earlier stated intention in December of last year that he would not be seeking re-election in the riding.

Accepting the role of a Cabinet Minister in the government came with a commitment to run in the next federal election, and Erskine-Smith said that is the right decision for himself and his family.

“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has sent me a message to encourage me to run again, and I feel fortunate and lucky to represent this community,” he said.

Erskine-Smith obviously discussed staying on in politics with his family as he and his wife Amy have two sons, ages five and eight. Part of that discussion revolved around the impact he felt he could have in the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and also on the importance of the next federal election in shaping the future of Canada.

Outside of the relationship between Canada and the United States, housing is the most consequential file the federal government is dealing with right now, he said. “Young people can’t afford to live in the neighbourhoods they grew up in. Adults are saying their kids don’t have the same opportunities they had when it comes to housing options and it’s a matter of fairness.”

Erskine-Smith said that political discussion in Canada heading into the next election needs to be about the challenges facing the country and not the “cartoonish” and slogan-driven approach that is being taken by Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre.

The next federal election, whenever it comes, will determine the future of programs offering affordable child care, dental care, pharmacare, and Truth and Reconciliation issues that are underway but not complete, he said.

“We have to be talking politics in a more serious way,” said Erskine-Smith, who added his experience and reputation as a strong and independent voice in Ottawa will be a factor for voters locally come the next election.

The Conservatives have a Reform Party ideology, he said, and Poilivere’s approach is to “undermine institutions” such as the CBC that make Canada unique. “The media has never been more important, and undermining it has devastating long-term consequences,” said Erskine-Smith.

Though a nomination race to become the new federal candidate had not been officially called by the Beaches-East York Federal Liberal Association, two people had made public their intention to seek the position. Erskine-Smith said he has spoken to both Summer Nudel and Tanveer Shahnawaz regarding his decision to run again.

“I have great respect for both of them, and that was a tough part of the decision for me…I want them both to succeed,” he said.

Erskine-Smith said he does not know when the next election might take place as that will ultimately depend on decisions made by Trudeau, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois in the New Year. “The Conservatives have made it clear that their political intent is first and foremost an election now,” he said.

Both the NDP and Bloc Quebecois are on record saying they want Trudeau to step down as Prime Minister and that they no longer have confidence in his minority government. Parliament will not resume again until the end of January, and Trudeau has stated he will be taking that time to consider his options for the future.

“Much will depend on the Prime Minister’s reflections over the holidays, and then we will take the next step.” said Erskine-Smith. “I took him at his word and I know he believes he is the right guy to deal with the Trump administration (in the United States) as he did the past. He’ll reflect over the holidays and we’ll see what happens when he comes back.”

The scenarios include a non-confidence vote in Trudeau’s government very soon after the House is in session, which could lead to an election as early as March. Trudeau could also choose to prorogue Parliament then step down and trigger an leadership race for the Liberal Party of Canada prior to an election being called. He could also stay on and in the event the Bloc Quebecois and NDP continue to support his minority, the federal election could come as late as October.

If Trudeau decides he is going to step down as Liberal leader and prorogue Parliament while the party chooses a new leader, Erskine-Smith gave an emphatic “No” when asked if he would consider a run at the position.

If Parliament is prorogued, Erskine-Smith would still be the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, he would just be doing the job while not attending sessions in the House of Commons.

“If it is a prorogue, I can’t be in Parliament but I will still get to do the work so I do have a runway but I could not get new funding for programs,” he said.

As he was being named to the Cabinet last Friday, media covering the ceremony made a point of saying Erskine-Smith was a “maverick” within the federal Liberal Party,  and wondered how his appointment might be taken by some caucus members who kept any criticisms or opinions of the government they had private.

Erskine-Smith said having the reputation of a person unafraid to state his beliefs is not something he considers to be a problem. He was not concerned that his appointment may have annoyed others in the party.

“No doubt it did. At the same time, it’s very important to our politicians to be able to speak freely… I joined politics so that I can speak up for the community. That you can speak your mind should be seen as an asset. It should be lifted up.”

On the housing challenges facing Canada when it comes to both affordability and supply, Erskine-Smith hopes he and his government have as much time as possible to start making a difference.

He said his focus on improving housing affordability and accessibility in Canada has three parts.

One of which is getting government out of the way when it comes to restrictive policies that hinder development. “We need to allow the market to develop more supply.”

He also said provincial and municipal governments also need to do their parts by getting rid of exclusionary zoning rules (which limit what can be built where) and development charges which add to the costs of housing.

“Most municipal and provincial governments have a certain level of NIMBYISM (Not In My Backyard),” which Erskine-Smith said has led to some of the supply problems for different forms of housing.

However, making it easier for developers to build housing is only one part of the solution, he said. “We need to get out of the way on the market side, but we also need to get back in on the public side.”

The federal government supports a Rental Protection Fund that helps non-profit organizations build affordable housing and then continue to be able to maintain that affordability. There’s also $1.5 billion in a co-op development fund. “That’s the most invested in my lifetime,” said Erskine-Smith.

Co-ops and affordable housing built by community organizations or the government itself was once common in Canada. Erskine-Smith said that in talking to his family recently about his new position, he was reminded that he himself was born in the Tommy Douglas Co-op on River Street in Toronto.

The building of non-market housing must increase in Canada, as the country has fallen well behind other nations in this area, he said.

“That’s unacceptable. We need to re-invest in this in a very serious way. We need to treat housing as a home first, with strong protections for tenants” and to invest in building homes for people who want to live in them as opposed to those who seem them as investment opportunities, he said.

“Rightly, there’s an anger around housing. There’s millions of people around the country who can’t afford to live in their communities and that has an impact on families, on our productivity. We appreciate the perspective of unhappiness and where it come from,” said Erskine-Smith.

“We need to build the homes…We need a serious and comprehensive approach, and we do that by working on the market and the non-market side. We have to stimulate more supply.”