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Sean Fraser (politician)

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The Honourable
Sean Fraser
PC MP
Fraser in 2023
Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 26, 2023[1]
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byAhmed Hussen (Housing), Dominic LeBlanc (Infrastructure and Communities)
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
In office
October 26, 2021 – July 26, 2023
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byMarco Mendicino
Succeeded byMarc Miller
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
In office
December 12, 2019 – October 26, 2021
MinisterBill Morneau
Chrystia Freeland
Preceded byJoël Lightbound
Succeeded byTerry Beech
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity
In office
December 12, 2019 – October 26, 2021
MinisterMona Fortier
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
In office
August 31, 2018 – September 11, 2019
MinisterCatherine McKenna
Preceded byJonathan Wilkinson
Succeeded byPeter Schiefke
Member of Parliament
for Central Nova
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded byPeter MacKay
Personal details
Born
Sean Simon Andrew Fraser

(1984-06-01) June 1, 1984 (age 40)
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
Political partyLiberal
SpouseSarah Burton
Residence(s)New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
Alma materSt. Francis Xavier University (BSc)
Dalhousie University (JD)
Leiden University (LLM)
ProfessionLawyer

Sean Simon Andrew Fraser[2] PC MP (born June 1, 1984) is a Canadian politician who has served as minister of housing, infrastructure and communities since July 26, 2023. Prior, he served as the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship from October 26, 2021 to July 26, 2023. A member of the Liberal Party, Fraser has represented the riding of Central Nova in the House of Commons since 2015.

Early life and education

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Raised in Merigomish in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Fraser earned a Bachelor of Science at St. Francis Xavier University in 2006.[3] He went on to earn a law degree from Dalhousie University and a master’s degree in public international law from Leiden University in the Netherlands, graduating in 2009 and 2011 respectively.[4]

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He spent three years working in Calgary as an associate at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, and also did work related to the Promotion of Access to Information Act for an NGO in South Africa.[5]

Political career

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41st Parliament of Canada

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A Liberal, Fraser was elected for the federal riding of Central Nova in the 2015 federal election which saw the Liberals under Justin Trudeau win a majority government.[6][7]

42nd Parliament of Canada

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From 2018 to 2019, Fraser served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

43rd Parliament of Canada

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From December 2019 to 2021 in the 43rd Parliament of Canada, Fraser served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Minister of Finance (Canada).

44rd Parliament of Canada

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On 26 October 2021, soon after his re-election to the 44th Parliament of Canada, Fraser was appointed Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Before this appointment, Scotiabank released a report on population growth and housing. It found that Canada had "the lowest number of housing units per 1,000 residents of any G7 country," and that the number had been "falling since 2016, owing to the sharp rise in population growth."[8] In February 2022, Fraser tabled the 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan, which outlined a 1.14% growth in population per year, with increased targets surpassing 450,000 permanent residents by 2024. This increase was recommended in 2016 by the Liberal government's Growth Council, chaired by Dominic Barton, then head of McKinsey & Company, and co-founder of the Century Initiative, which believes Canada's population should reach 100 million by 2100.[9][10]After Fraser's news release, the Century Initiative, released their statement, commending Fraser.[11][12] On November 1, 2022, Fraser announced the government's plan to increase Canada's annual immigration target to 500,000 by 2025; Fraser cited labour shortages as the reason for the increase.[13] Concerns over the effects higher immigration targets would have on health care, housing affordability and the labour market, were dismissed by Fraser, who explained some people, like international students, who had become permanent residents, were already living in the country.[14] Further criticism arose when Radio-Canada revealled sources within Fraser's ministry said McKinsey & Company, which had received $100 million in consulting fees from the Liberal government, was influencing immigration policy.[15] Fraser insisted he had not been influenced by McKinsey, and decided on the increase all by himself. Under Fraser, Canada's population growth was the highest in any G7 country.The population grew by over 1 million (+2.7%) in 2022, the largest increase in 66 years, and quadruple the average rate.[16] In June 2023, Canada's population surpassed 40 million and was touted as a "milestone" and "a cause to celebrate."[17] In October 2022, Halifax, Nova Scotia, reported homelessness had doubled in one year. In the spring of 2023, Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, declared homelessness an emergency.[18][19][20] In June 2023, some refugee claimants were sleeping on the streets in Toronto due to the number of asylum seekers in the shelter system quintupling to 2900 in less than two years.[21]

Fraser was immigration minister when the Roxham Road migrant crisis peaked. After Quebec complained it was "unfairly shouldering the cost of taking care of asylum-seekers," crossing at the irregular port of entry, Fraser announced a "Pan-Canadian" solution to the crisis: the federal government would transfer thousands of migrants to Ontario towns, such as Niagara Falls, which was already having a housing crisis.[22] Roxham Road closed in March 2023. The same month, the government proposed $1 billion for short-term accommodation and temporary health-care coverage for asylum-seekers and refugees.[23] [24]The cost to house nearly 5000 migrants in Niagara Falls from February 2023 to February 2024 was $115 million.[25]

On July 26, 2023, Fraser was appointed Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. After the population increased by over 430,000 in three months, the government was criticized for "having lost control". With international students, temporary foreign workers, and migrants, competing for social programs, jobs, housing and health care, Fraser, who was now Housing Minister, stated the government would look at reforms to the international student program, but, "closing the doors to newcomers is not the solution," and that developers had told him they needed "access to the labour force to build the houses they needed."[26] However, a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) report showed that although the number of construction workers had hit an all-time high in 2023, housing production did not increase and fell short of "its potential output by a significant margin." The report also stated, Canada was "inefficient in utilizing construction resources to their fullest," and "structural changes were needed."[27]

In March 2024, the government negotiated deals with municipal governments to add 750,000 homes to Canada's housing supply in the next decade. This will be paid through the house accelerator fund at the cost of 4 billion dollars.[28]In April 2024, the Liberals unveiled their plan to build 3.9 million homes by 2031 to solve the housing crisis.[29] On 25 August 2024, Fraser announced that the government planned to make 99-year leases of government lands for the purpose of affordable housing. Accessing federal buildings and lands to build more homes was suggested in the bill, Building Homes Not Bureaucracy Act, tabled by opposition leader Pierre Poilievre on September 20, 2023.[30] [31]

Awards

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In January 2021 Fraser was selected as "Best Orator"[32] and was a finalist for "Rising Star"[33] during the 12th annual Maclean's Parliamentarians of the Year Awards.

Electoral record

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2021 Canadian federal election: Central Nova
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sean Fraser 18,682 45.89 -0.4 $88,208.43
Conservative Steven Cotter 13,060 32.08 +2.6 $38,393.01
New Democratic Betsy MacDonald 6,225 15.29 +2.3 $11,093.54
People's Al Muir 1,445 3.55 +1.5 $0.00
Green Katerina Nikas 494 1.21 -6.6 $0.00
Independent Harvey Henderson 365 0.90 N/A $0.00
Communist Chris Frazer 138 0.34 -0.1 $0.00
Rhinoceros Ryan Smyth 65 0.16 N/A $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 40,474 99.4 +0.3 $107,714.33
Total rejected ballots 236 0.58 -0.3
Turnout 40,710 66.7 -7.8
Registered voters 61,073
Liberal hold Swing -1.5
Source: Elections Canada[34][35][36]
2019 Canadian federal election: Central Nova
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sean Fraser 20,718 46.59 −11.94 $99,263.87
Conservative George Canyon 13,201 29.69 +3.89 $89,511.25
New Democratic Betsy MacDonald 5,806 13.06 +2.82 none listed
Green Barry Randle 3,478 7.82 +3.68 $6,467.76
People's Al Muir 938 2.11 New $2,862.69
Communist Chris Frazer 180 0.40 New $749.95
Independent Michael Slowik 149 0.33 New $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 44,470 100.0     $102,724.82
Total rejected ballots 412 0.92 +0.40
Turnout 44,882 74.49 −0.19
Eligible voters 60,251
Liberal hold Swing −7.92
Source: Elections Canada[37]
2015 Canadian federal election: Central Nova
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sean Fraser 25,909 58.53 +44.58 $113,362.49
Conservative Fred DeLorey 11,418 25.80 –29.49 $109,137.26
New Democratic Ross Landry 4,532 10.24 –16.57 $63,038.54
Green David Hachey 1,834 4.14 +0.34 $11,206.15
Independent Alexander J. MacKenzie 570 1.29 – –
Total valid votes/expense limit 44,263 100.00   $204,540.28
Total rejected ballots 233 0.52
Turnout 44,496 74.68
Eligible voters 59,585
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +37.04
Source: Elections Canada[38][39]

References

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  1. ^ Tunney, Catharine (26 July 2023). "Trudeau overhauls his cabinet, drops 7 ministers and shuffles most portfolios". CBC News. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  2. ^ The Canadian Ministry (by order of precedence
  3. ^ "Famous HKIN Alumni". 27 April 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  4. ^ "The Honourable Sean Fraser". 23 October 2021. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  5. ^ Meet Sean Fraser Archived 2015-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, Liberal.ca.
  6. ^ "Liberal Sean Fraser takes Central Nova from the Conservatives". The Chronicle Herald. October 19, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  7. ^ "Peter MacKay's former riding goes to Liberal Sean Fraser". CBC News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  8. ^ Canada has the lowest number of housing units per 1,000 residents of any G7 country. The number of housing units per 1,000 Canadians has been falling since 2016 owing to the sharp rise in population growth.
  9. ^ https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2022/02/new-immigration-plan-to-fill-labour-market-shortages-and-grow-canadas-economy.html
  10. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/3020783/influential-liberal-advisers-want-canadian-population-to-triple-by-2100/
  11. ^ https://www.centuryinitiative.ca/news/statement-by-century-initiative-in-response-to-the-new-immigration-levels-plan-2
  12. ^ https://populationinstitutecanada.ca/the-century-initiative-a-blueprint-for-a-bigger-broken-canada/
  13. ^ Berthiaume, Lee (1 November 2022). "Ottawa reveals plan to welcome 500,000 immigrants a year by 2025". CTV News. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  14. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/9408224/canada-immigration-targets-sean-fraser/
  15. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/9416537/mckinsey-contracts-liberal-government-committee-meeting/
  16. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_06CdA_IYA4
  17. ^ https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/population_and_demography/40-million
  18. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-homeless-population-doubled-in-a-year-1.6627615
  19. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-homelessness-emergency-changes-warming-centres-1.6842031
  20. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-state-of-emergency-homelessness-1.6804478
  21. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/refugee-asylum-seeker-shelters-1.6876287
  22. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/niagara-falls-asylum-seekers-hotels-services-1.6759752
  23. ^ https://nationalpost.com/news/budget-canada-1-billion-asylum-claimants
  24. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/9501397/quebec-roxham-road-border-poilievre/
  25. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/10384149/canada-asylum-seekers-hotel-costs/
  26. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/housing-minister-sean-fraser-1.6918864
  27. ^ https://financialpost.com/real-estate/home-building-lags-despite-record-construction-workforce
  28. ^ "Ottawa says its housing deals with cities will build 750,000 homes in the next decade". Montreal Gazette. March 4, 2024.
  29. ^ https://globalnews.ca/news/10419696/liberals-housing-plan-trudeau/
  30. ^ https://nationalpost.com/news/poilievre-tables-housing-bill
  31. ^ "Canada announces government land will be leased to build more affordable housing".
  32. ^ "The winners of the Maclean's Parliamentarians of the Year Awards - Macleans.ca". www.macleans.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  33. ^ "The finalists for the Maclean's Parliamentarians of the Year Awards - Macleans.ca". www.macleans.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  34. ^ "Confirmed candidates — Central Nova". Elections Canada. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  35. ^ "September 20, 2021 General Election - Election Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  36. ^ "Candidate Campaign Returns". Elections Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  37. ^ "Results Validated by the Returning Officer". Elections Canada. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  38. ^ "October 19, 2015 Election Results — Central Nova (Validated results)". Elections Canada. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  39. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
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