Liberals say Poilievre 'doesn't care' about the housing shortage and mock his record

Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser said Monday that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre doesn't really care about building more homes and is just whipping up «fear» and «anxiety» in order to get elected.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a housing conference in Ottawa, Fraser said it's «frustrating» to see Poilievre pitch policies that «prey on the anxieties of people who are very worried» about buying a home without «actually offering solutions.»

Fraser recently released a three-minute video on social media. It blasts Poilievre's plan as a poor imitation of what the government is already doing to tackle a crisis that has left homes out of reach for many Canadians.

The video, entitled «Pierre doesn't care,» is similar in style to one Poilievre released earlier this year on the same topic. The video goes after the Tory leader's record as housing minister in the last Conservative government.

It's a sign that the Liberal government is starting to fight back against Poilievre, who has led his party to a commanding lead in the polls. Poll aggregator 338 Canada suggests the Conservatives enjoy an 18-point lead nationwide. Poilievre has made housing a central plank of his policy playbook.

Poilievre has released a relatively detailed housing plan built around a program that would tie federal funding for municipalities to housing starts.

Under his proposal, cities would have to increase the number of homes built by 15 per cent each year. Municipalities that fail to meet that target would see their federal grants withheld at a commensurate rate.

The Conservative plan also would make a $100 million fund available to cities that greatly exceed the target.

Fraser said that's a lot less than the government's existing $4 billion