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*Article written by Alex Dhaliwal 

Housing Minister Gregor Robertson faced criticism Tuesday for mishandling his portfolio, stemming from his controversial opposition to falling real estate prices.

Rebel News CEO Ezra Levant questioned Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday: “How do you balance reducing housing costs for young families with protecting seniors’ and boomers’ potential only nest egg?”

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“How would you like to see pricing actually look for the average home in Toronto or Vancouver?”

Poilievre found it "incredible" that Carney chose Gregor Robertson as housing minister, given that Vancouver's housing costs rose 150% when Robertson was mayor.

WATCH: @PierrePoilievre slams Liberal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson in response to @EzraLevant's question about how to reduce housing costs for young people while maintaining Boomers' nest eggs. pic.twitter.com/v9vP9XVp2A

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 9, 2025

“Entirely by municipal taxes, the guy created the worst housing market in North America—more expensive than New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago,” the Tory said. “He is the epitome of everything wrong with housing in Canada today.”

“As for your question about balancing, … look, the money from a home today does not go to the buyer, the seller or the builder. It goes to the government.”

Poilievre clarified the money is going to bureaucrats, urging governments to eliminate the sales tax, cut the development charges in half, speed up the permits, and commit to zero tax on reinvested gains.

By doing this, “the buyer, the seller, and the builder will all be winners at the same time,” he said.

When asked if house prices need to go down, new Housing Minister Gregor Robertson said, "No, I think that we need to deliver more supply, make sure the market is stable, it's a huge part of our economy. We need to be delivering more affordable housing." #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/IxhZhQSf1Z

— Mackenzie Gray (@Gray_Mackenzie) May 14, 2025

On May 27, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced billions in promised tax cuts through a Ways And Means Motion, a prerequisite for tax changes. 

Proposed Income Tax Act amendments would remove the GST on new homes under $1 million for first-time buyers, with an estimated cost of $383 million next year.

TD Bank's chief economist, Beata Caranci, recommends spending incentives such as climate-friendly renovation tax credits or a GST holiday instead of a broad tax cut.

Fed report to @GregorRobertson recommends 20% of housing starts be set aside as "deeply affordable" for low income renters, contradicting @CMHC_Ca research.  https://t.co/yFcrA1NQyV @HICC_ca @HousingLogement #HousingPrices pic.twitter.com/nV7FUw9Uwv

— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) September 9, 2025

According to Blacklock’s, Minister Robertson advises mandating 20% of new housing starts for low-income families, despite a 2024 CMHC study cautioning against focusing on low-cost rentals.

The report, Understanding Filtering: A Long Term Strategy To New Supply And Housing Affordability, states that “Building … a balanced mix of … housing is the best strategy,” making homes “more affordable and benefits most household types.”

Analysts wrote that "filtering," a process where new homes increase housing stock and gradually become available to lower-income households, is supported by new CMHC and international research as providing more affordable housing.

Advice To The Minister defined affordability as shelter costs at "30 percent of gross income or 40 percent of net income," recommending existing affordable housing be preserved. Other recommendations include tying funding to tenant protections, affordability guarantees, and eviction prevention.