Poilievre discusses housing, international students in visit to Kitchener

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre spoke at a Fiddleheads Health & Nutrition in Kitchener on Wednesday morning, discussing a variety of topics.

Poilievre opened his remarks with a comment about the cost of living in Kitchener.

“Welcome to Kitchener, where it costs more for a two-bedroom than it does for a castle in Sweden on a lake,” he said.

Poilievre sharply criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government about the rising costs of living and said that a Conservative government would have a mathematical formula that links population growth to the supply of housing.

“We’ll require local municipalities to permit 15 per cent more home building per year as a condition of getting federal funds,” said Poilievre. “Those that build more will get bonuses, those that build less will be fined so that we can clear the bureaucracy and build the homes.”

Poilievre was also asked about international students coming to Canada after the federal government implemented a cap to limit the number of international students entering.

He again criticized Trudeau for the number of students entering and shared how he would respond to the issue.

“If someone comes as an international student, they have to be registered for a real educational institution that offers a real certificate, they have to prove they have the income to pay their bills while they are here, and they have to prove they have homes,” Poilievre said.

The Opposition Leader also discussed crime, transgender rights, the opioid crisis, and the ArriveCan app controversy. He summarized his plans for the country into four categories.

“We’ll axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, stop the crime.”