CASH CLASH — Finance Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is into her third day in a row of housing announcements, although controversy over a major one Tuesday has followed her and other Cabinet members around. Several provinces have their backs up over one of the key housing measures the Liberal government rolled out this week in their budget drippity-drip, and is drawing even more crossfire. — Shots fired: Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick quickly hit back over the thick strings attached to the C$6 billion housing infrastructure fund Tuesday when it comes to zoning and jurisdiction — ramped-up expectations from Ottawa on conditions for shelling out funds. (B.C.’s Premier DAVID EBY notably welcomed it). Alberta came out swinging even harder the next day. A joint statement by UCP Cab Mins JASON NIXON and RIC MCIVER said the Liberals are playing politics with measures that trample on provincial jurisdiction which will “only make it harder and more expensive to build homes,” even claiming the move is an extension of the Trudeau government’s “punitive green agenda.” — Slight lag: Out on the hustings in Edmonton Wednesday, that conflict forced Freeland to defend the previous day’s policy announcement. In Toronto, the PM did the same. Not that they were unhappy to. They very much want to talk housing. — The line: Asked about advancing the housing plan amid such strong provincial opposition from the likes of Ontario Premier DOUG FORD, who dug in on his policy on fourplexes Wednesday, Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU said his government’s “entire frame on housing is about being as ambitious as we possibly can to support Canadians to get them into affordable homes.” If provinces don’t want to play ball, they’ll turn to cities. “Ideally, we work with the province,” he said. “If not, I know [Toronto Mayor OLIVIA CHOW] has already told me, ‘Hey, send the extra money to Toronto.’” — A friend in need: Chow was there for the presser and, when asked about the requirement for big cities to freeze development charges for three years, Chow said NBD: “What we need is, of course, infrastructure funds.” (Toronto has done many of the things that meet the requirements.) — Similar tune: Quebec Cabinet ministers FRANCE-ÉLAINE DURANCEAU and JEAN-FRANÇOIS ROBERGE complained of jurisdictional intrusion; Montreal Mayor VALÉRIE PLANTE welcomed the measures. — Odd lifeline: If Ontario Premier DOUG FORD rejects the money, it forces the hand of municipalities like Windsor to decide on thorny issues like fourplexes, says housing expert MIKE MOFFATT, thereby “downloading those decisions onto municipalities who now have to choose whether or not they will adopt these provisions or forego the money.” — Early winner: The policy whisperers. It’s still too soon to see who will sign on and how many units it will mean. But Moffatt, who has pitched ideas to fix the crisis to the Liberal Cabinet, has counted up about a dozen ideas from the independent Task Force for Housing and Climate’s (he’s a member) blueprint for more and better housing the federal government adopted in some form. He said the infrastructure funding Tuesday, and the funds announced Wednesday for apartment construction financing, are both moves in the right direction. “We're seeing housing starts decline because of those high interest rates, so the federal government stepping in can certainly help out there,” he said of the latter move. — Political test: DON IVESON, co-chair of the task force, tells Playbook the pushback from some provinces is “regrettable, but predictable,” but he thinks Ontario will eventually come around. “You've had the blame shifting and ping-ponging between local governments and the federal government, and this will put the question back to provincial governments — who actually do have a huge number of levers at their disposal — whether they are in fact pro housing in their policies, or whether there are other political points to be scored that are driving the agenda.” — The line: Ford struck a deferential tone delivering points Wednesday, saying municipalities know best and it's “not up to the province to dictate where every single building is going to be.” The big issue he raised when speaking with reporters in Vaughan: The Bank of Canada needs to lower rates to 4 percent so homes can start to “pop up like mushrooms.” — In related reading: In a column this morning, AARON WHERRY of CBC News writes: "Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are apparently no constitutionalists in a housing crisis." — Next BoC decision: April 10, just days ahead of the federal budget. The next, next rate-date: June 5, which is 62 days from now. — Quick reminder: Three provincial elections are expected this year, in B.C., Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, not to mention municipal races. — Future friction?: Enterprise’s ANDREW TUMILTY, who has worked on Liberal campaigns, tells Playbook Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE, who rails against gatekeepers and whose own housing plan would engage in some hardball with provinces, should theoretically be at odds with the likes of Ford. “If this isn't motivated entirely by partisanship, you know that that's a position from the premier that Mr. Poilievre should be quite critical of,” he said. — Spin twin: Crestview’s ROB GILMOUR, who has worked for the Ontario PCs, was as unimpressed with the notion as the whole budget roadshow tour, which he said won’t move the needle for them electorally. He said Poilievre deals with provinces pragmatically, pointing to a recent positive meeting with Manitoba NDP Premier WAB KINEW. Asked about the housing announcements, he sighed. “I don't know how you capture an exasperated sigh in an interview,” said Gilmour. “I just don't think anybody's buying this. People can't afford to buy houses under Justin Trudeau, and they certainly can't afford to buy his photo-op hype today, either,” he said. “Too little, too late.”
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