Pierre-Claude Poulin and Alessandro Casbarro made statements and answered questions.

Bonita Zarrillo moved, — That the committee write to Minister Freeland to highlight her mandate to convert the Canada Caregiver Credit to a refundable tax-free benefit, and ask that it be part of the upcoming Spring budget so that Canadians who care for their loved ones are also looked after.

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

YEAS: Scott Aitchison, Chandra Arya, Chad Collins, Rosemarie Falk, Peter Fragiskatos, Tracy Gray, Wayne Long, Anna Roberts, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 10;

NAYS: Louise Chabot — 1.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

At 4:56 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:01 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Aiman Malhi, Laura Tamblyn Watts, and Isobel Mackenzie made statements and answered questions.

Scott Aitchison moved, — That the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities undertake a study in accordance with Standing Order 108 (2) of no less than 8 meetings, on housing, homelessness, and tent cities in Canada, and that the committee give priority to this study, upon the completion of the Committees work on C-319.

Debate arose thereon.

At 5:25 p.m., the sitting resumed.

A point of order was raised as to the procedural acceptability of the proposed amendment.

RULING BY THE CHAIR

The Chair ruled the proposed amendment inadmissible as it introduces a new proposition which should be the subject of a substantive motion.

Whereupon, Chad Collins appealed the decision of the Chair.

The question: ‘’Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?’’ Was put and the decision was overturned on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Scott Aitchison, Louise Chabot, Rosemarie Falk, Tracy Gray, Anna Roberts — 5;

NAYS: Chandra Arya, Chad Collins, Peter Fragiskatos, Wayne Long, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 6.

Accordingly, the Chair’s decision was overruled.

The debate on the amendment of Peter Fragiskatos continued.

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

YEAS: Chandra Arya, Chad Collins, Peter Fragiskatos, Wayne Long, Tony Van Bynen, Bonita Zarrillo — 6;

NAYS: Scott Aitchison, Louise Chabot, Rosemarie Falk, Tracy Gray, Anna Roberts — 5.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities undertake a study in accordance with Standing Order 108(2), of no less than 4 meetings, on the role played by the lack of investments in purpose-built rental, affordable, social, rent-geared-to-income, and co-op housing by successive federal governments in creating the housing and homelessness crisis, as well as tent cities in Canada;

That, with regard to federal housing investments between February 1, 2006, and October 1, 2015, this study include particular consideration of the following questions:

(a) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of non-profit or community housing and how many units were developed;

(b) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of co-operative housing and how many units were developed; and

(c) how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of purpose-built rental housing and how many units were developed; That the committee report its findings to the House; and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response thereto.

Questioning of Aiman Malhi, Laura Tamblyn Watts, and Isobel Mackenzie resumed.