Canada: PM Trudeau on housing initiative, David Johnston's appointment as special rapporteur, RCMP – March 17, 2023

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces the launch of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), a $4-billion initiative aimed at addressing the housing shortage by providing funding for local governments to build 100,000 homes faster over the next decade. Funding for HAF was announced in the 2022 federal budget and the initiative will run until 2026-27. The prime minister is joined at the news conference in Guelph, Ontario, by federal Housing Minister Ahmed Hussen, local MP Lloyd Longfield, and mayor Cam Guthrie. Trudeau faces questions about his appointment of former governor general David Johnston as independent special rapporteur to investigate allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s last two federal elections. He is also asked about the next commissioner of the RCMP following Brenda Lucki's retirement from the position. (March 17, 2023)