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Few Canadian politicians currently have the experience of newly-appointed Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson, having served in all three levels of government.
Despite being out of the political scene for some time, Robertson has made a comeback with his recent election victory as a Liberal MP in B.C.’s Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby riding.
Previously, he served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the B.C. NDP starting in 2005. He then went on to become the City of Vancouver’s longest-serving mayor from 2008 to 2018 as a member of the Vision Vancouver slate.
With a mandate to improve housing affordability nationwide, Robertson’s new cabinet post comes with significant political challenges and policy issues. Let’s explore some of Robertson’s past accomplishments and how they align with the current Liberal housing plan.
New technology
During his tenure as mayor of Vancouver in 2011, Robertson introduced Vancouver’s first Economic Action Strategy, focusing on job creation, support for local businesses, strategic new investments, and global trade opportunities. The strategy also emphasized targeted job creation in sectors like green energy and digital media.
At that time, Vancouver’s economy experienced significant growth and was identified as the fastest-growing metropolitan economy in the country according to a report by the Conference Board of Canada.
Now, as Robertson takes on expanded housing targets, technology and job growth in related fields are likely to play a crucial role in his strategy. Large-scale technological advancements could revolutionize the construction process and create new job opportunities in the tech sector.
During the election campaign, the Liberal Party expressed interest in expanding prefabricated and modular housing to accelerate construction timelines. These innovations could also open up opportunities for less-skilled workers to assemble prefabricated sections on-site, addressing the impending labor shortage in the construction industry.
Environmental housing
As mayor of Vancouver, Robertson launched several significant housing-related policy initiatives, including the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan.
The goal of the plan was to make Vancouver the “greenest city in the world” by 2020, focusing on carbon reduction, waste management, and ecosystem preservation. The initiative aimed to promote the “green economy” with an emphasis on increased green buildings for CO2 reduction.
It will be interesting to see how Robertson’s environmental and green technology interests align with his housing targets. He may prioritize reducing carbon footprints, promoting sustainable building practices, and incentivizing green housing technology.
However, the challenge lies in the fact that green building typically entails higher construction costs, which may contradict efforts to make housing more affordable.
Canadian homelessness issues and housing for vulnerable populations
One of Robertson’s notable policies in 2008 was the goal of eliminating homelessness by 2015 in Metro Vancouver. Unfortunately, homelessness in the region worsened during that period, leading to criticism of his leadership in addressing this issue.
Nevertheless, homelessness and housing for vulnerable groups remain important topics for Robertson. It is likely that he will strive to improve his track record in this area and leverage his new position to make a positive impact.
Regarding specific vulnerable housing groups, the Liberal pre-election platform mentioned expanding student housing, care facilities, and accommodations for the aging population.
Incentivizing and expanding rental stock
Given Robertson’s focus on vulnerable groups, he is likely to pay attention to the significant number of renters across the country.
In the 1970s and early ’80s, the federal government implemented a tax incentive program called the Multi-Unit Residential Buildings program, which led to a substantial increase in rental properties. While costly in terms of lost tax revenue, this program proved effective and may be a direction Robertson considers to fulfill his mandate.
Governmental housing alignment
Having experience in all three levels of government, Robertson is well-positioned to promote stronger collaboration from municipal to provincial…
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