Report From Parliament Hill

Eric Melillo, MP, Kenora Riding

Dear Constituents

This week I had the opportunity to travel to Kingfisher Lake First Nation, North Caribou Lake First Nation, Kasabonika Lake First Nation, and Muskrat Dam Lake First Nation to meet with chiefs and councillors of their respective communities. We discussed their local priorities and how the federal government can work in partnership (with) them to advance them and support self-determination. I was also glad to visit Pickle Lake.
It was great to be in Red Lake for the Norseman Festival’s pancake breakfast. It was a great turnout and I enjoyed catching up with residents. 
Prime Minister Quietly Holds Meeting with Organization That Wants to Tax Homeowners
Recently, the Prime Minister held an hour-long private meeting with the activist organization ‘Generation Squeeze’ that has advocated for new taxes on homeowners.
After a report emerged of this “private town hall,” which was omitted from Trudeau’s official itinerary, Generation Squeeze is now saying that the Prime Minister’s office is refusing to give permission to release the full recording of the event. This is especially concerning as the group’s founder has previously called for taxes on the equity Canadians have in their homes, calling the exemption that Canadians have from paying taxes on their principal residence a “tax shelter.”
This is not the first time that the Prime Minister has considered taxing homeowners on their primary residence. The NDP-Liberal government has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the same group, including for a report where they again advocated for taxing homes. In 2019 a Liberal Party platform proposal also called for taxes on the sale of principal residences.
If the government goes through with this tax, the dream of homeownership will slip even further away from Canadians and take more than $5 billion from homeowners, forcing them to pay a massive new tax when they sell their home. This is especially damaging for Canadian homeowners in skyrocketing real estate markets.
Canadians work hard to save and invest in their homes and their futures, and they expect their government to work equally as hard to find solutions to the problems they face. But this NDP-Liberal government is doing the opposite. They created the housing crisis by failing to build enough homes, and now wants to place an unfair tax on Canadians for the mess they created.
They are not worth the cost. Only Common Sense Conservatives will bring affordable homes for Canadians.
Working for You 
If you’re planning to be in Ottawa and are interested in attending Question Period or taking a tour of Parliament, please let me know and my office can help reserve Question Period and tour tickets. 
As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, please call me at 807-223-2182 (Dryden) or 807-468-2170 (Kenora) or email me at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Eric Melillo
Member of Parliament
Kenora Riding