Fraud, Chaos and Housing Starts
Fraud and Chaos in Canada’s Immigration System
The NDP-Liberal Government has broken Canada’s immigration system after nine years in power. A Globe and Mail report revealed that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada flagged over 10,000 foreign student acceptance letters from Canadian colleges and universities as potentially fraudulent.
Justin Trudeau and his former Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, caused this problem by issuing a million student visas without considering the impact on the country. They ignored widespread fraud and abuse in the International Student Program. Now, Trudeau’s new Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, has asked the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants to fix the mess his government created.
This marks another immigration policy failure from the government. Last month, Trudeau admitted that his radical, uncontrolled immigration policies contributed to crises in joblessness, housing, and health care. Even Minister Miller acknowledged that nine years of reckless policies caused the system to spiral “out of control.”
The government now claims they deliberately broke the system to address pandemic labour shortages, but this is false. The International Student Program has never served as a labour stream. Despite this, the number of people entering Canada through this program has surged by 211% since Trudeau became Prime Minister.
As the NDP-Liberal government scrambles to regain control, international students are increasingly claiming refugee status. So far this year, nearly 14,000 asylum claims have come from international students, a sharp rise from 1,810 in 2018. Experts predict this number will continue growing.
Canadians no longer trust Justin Trudeau to fix the immigration chaos he created. While he promised to lower the number of temporary immigrants to 5 percent of the population, the figure has risen to 7.3 percent under his leadership.
Canadians deserve a government that will eliminate fraud in the International Student Program. Only Common Sense Conservatives can repair what the NDP-Liberals have destroyed and restore an immigration system that serves all Canadians.
Housing Starts Down 11 Percent This Year
The NDP-Liberal government has failed to build enough homes for Canadians after nine years in office. This failure has plunged the country into a housing crisis, with the cost of mortgages, down payments, and rent doubling since Trudeau became Prime Minister. Canadians have endured the worst housing inflation in the G7.
The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), under Trudeau’s government, reported that the housing crisis will worsen. Comparing October 2024 to October 2023, housing starts have fallen by 11 percent nationwide, worsened by Canada’s rapid population growth.
The decline is especially pronounced in once-affordable cities. Housing starts in Halifax dropped by 75 percent compared to last year, while Kelowna experienced an 87 percent decline. Ottawa, Quebec City, and Toronto also saw significant decreases, with housing starts falling by 42 percent, 37 percent, and 33 percent, respectively.
Trudeau’s failure to address housing shortages has caused misery for Canadians. Habitat for Humanity recently revealed that 82 percent of Canadians now worry the housing crisis is harming their health and well-being, and 88 percent of renters believe homeownership is unattainable. Even more concerning, 59 percent of Canadians – including 75 percent of renters – have had to sacrifice basic needs like food, clothing, and education to afford housing.
Canadians should not have to endure this. They deserve a government that will accelerate homebuilding. Common Sense Conservatives have a plan to fix Trudeau’s failures. We will eliminate the sales tax on new homes priced under $1 million – a move that will generate 30,000 additional homes annually – and stop funding city hall gatekeepers who obstruct new housing developments. That is just common sense.
The Liberals hold Parliament (and Canadians!) hostage
So far, the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have helped defeat two Conservative motions of non-confidence in the Liberal government.
Canadians want an election now – not in a year. They can no longer afford the costly socio-economic policies imposed upon them since the current Liberal government came to power in 2015.
Yet, the NDP, Bloc, and Liberals block every Conservative attempt to force an early election.
Legislative work in the House has halted because the Liberals refuse to hand over documents critical to the RCMP investigation of directors on Sustainable Development Technology Canada (also knows as the “Green Slush Fund”). With close ties to the Liberals, the directors awarded $400 million in tax dollars to their own companies, involving a whopping 186 conflicts of interest, according to the Auditor General. By refusing to hand over documents relevant to the RCMP investigation and disobeying an order from the Speaker of the House, the Liberals have effectively frozen the House until they decide to cooperate.
See my speech on the matter here.
House Committees continue their work, but until the House resumes its normal course of action, Conservatives will not be able to pass any common sense Conservative Private Members’ Bills.
Population Outgrows Economic Opportunity
The NDP-Liberal Government is failing to create enough jobs to keep pace with Canada’s growing population.
Statistics Canada’s recent Labour Force Survey confirmed this, showing that year-over-year employment increased by 313,000 (+1.5%) in September, while the working-age population increased by 1.2 million (+3.6%). This significant employment deficit leaves more Canadians competing for fewer jobs and more people out of work.
The employment rate has followed a downward trend since January of 2023. Combined with Canada’s falling GDP per capita, which is on track to decrease for six consecutive quarters, this situation is disastrous for Canadian workers. The per-person income of Canadians has now fallen back to the same level it was in 2015.
Additionally, the unemployment rate across Canada has risen by a full percentage point, reflecting the damage done to the economy since 2016.
Enough is enough. Canadians, and British Columbians, deserve a strong Conservative government that will bring home jobs and powerful pay cheques
BC MP's shocked at government's betrayal
Since the devastating floods in 2021, British Columbians have been repeatedly let down by the Liberal government. With minimal support from Ottawa, the municipalities of Abbotsford, Merritt, and Princeton have struggled to recover and rebuild in advance of future floods. The Prime Minister assured them that his government ‘would have their back.’
Come pick up a free plant!

Studying Antisemitism on Campuses
Lauder Fellow Claire Frankel and JDA Member Nati Pressmann spoke this week at a press conference about the antisemitism that Jewish students face on Canadian campuses. Alongside MPs Anthony Housefather, Marco Mendicino, Ya'ara Saks, Julie Dabrusin, Anna Gainey, Ben Carr, and Tako van Popta and amidst the ongoing anti-Israel protests across the country, Nati and Claire took a strong stand against antisemitism on their campuses.
Conservatives Call for Action
In response to the Federal Court’s ruling that the Trudeau government’s use of the Emergencies Act in 2022 was illegal and unconstitutional, members of the Conservative party on the Justice Committee have called for immediate action.
“The court ruling officially confirms that, by employing the Emergencies Act, the Trudeau government broke the law and treated the rights and freedoms of Canadians as expendable,” the Conservative MPs wrote.
Read the full story here.
MP Van Popta endorses students' call for more recycle-friendly trash bins
Langley-Aldergrove MP Tako van Popta has endorsed a campaign by Grade 7 students at Fort Langley Elementary to eliminate single-waste garbage cans in favour of multiple-source collection bins that allow sorting and encourage recycling at all federal parks and buildings in Canada.
“This is a great initiative and highlights the work that needs to be done on all levels of government to improve waste management in our parks,” Van Popta commented, following a meeting with the students in late May.
Read the full story here.
New Canadians take the oath at historic Fort Langley
"Forty new Canadians from 16 countries were sworn in on Canada Day at historic Fort Langley.
Then, they were greeted, one by one, by Langley Township Mayor Eric Woodward and Langley-Aldergrove MP Tako van Popta."
Read the full story here.
MP Tako van Popta Hosts Tree Seedling Giveaway
In keeping a tradition alive that was started decades ago by the late MP Mark Warawa, the current Langley-Aldergrove MP was out Saturday, June 3 giving away plants.
Specifically, Tako van Popta was giving away seedling or starter native to the region, a project he takes on each spring, in conjunction with the Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS).
“This yearly event is a great way to restore beauty and forestation to the earth one yard at a time, and also gives me a welcome opportunity to connect with my constituents,” he said.
MP Tako van Popta Hosts Forum on MAiD & Mental Illness
“Despite mounting outcry from mental health experts, the federal government is planning to expand medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to vulnerable Canadians whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness,” criticized van Popta.
“There is lots of work to be done to protect the vulnerable in our society and provide the suffering with hope for a better tomorrow, and the support needed to live through today. These two men are at the forefront of that cause and I thank them for their advocacy,” concluded the local MP.
Read the full story here.