Last month, nearly 350 members of the REALTOR® community gathered in our nation’s capital to promote homeownership and discuss the election at the 34th annual Political Action Committee (PAC) Days 2019.
Because this year’s PAC Days occurred during the election period, Members of Parliament (MPs) were not on Parliament Hill to meet with PAC reps. That didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of everyone in attendance—rooms were PAC-ked during the three-day conference.
Participants spent their time un-PAC-king the election with a distinguished group of journalists, pollsters and political strategists. They also had the opportunity to prepare for future advocacy to make the dream of homeownership an achievable reality for more Canadians.
We partnered with the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, the Canadian Homebuilders’ Association, the Co-Operative Housing Federation of Canada, and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness to host a national housing debate, broadcast by CPAC. Candidates, including the Liberals’ Adam Vaughan, the Conservatives’ Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois’ Geneviève Nadeau, the NDP’s Angella MacEwen and Angela Keller-Herzog of the Green Party, clashed while presenting their parties’ housing policy proposals.
As a Canadian with deep ties to American politics, political commentator and former speechwriter for former U.S. President George W. Bush, David Frum delivered an exciting keynote speech, providing his insights on the Trump Administration’s impact on Canada.
Jennifer Keesmaat, world-renowned urban planner and former Toronto mayoral candidate, discussed the future of the world’s cities, challenging all in attendance to consider evolving ideas of homeownership and the impact those changes would have on the real estate industry.
With the PAC network, we work hard to promote policies that benefit homeowners, sellers and prospective buyers. These skills were on display during mock MP meetings held on the main stage. PAC reps from the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of REALTORS®, Toronto Real Estate Board, the WinnipegREALTORS® and the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers competed to show how to conduct an effective MP meeting. The session proved engaging and informative, with the Newfoundlanders emerging victorious due to their expertise and hilarious sense of humour.
If you missed out on any part of the conference, you can still catch highlights on social media using #CREAPAC19.
Thank you to everyone who attended our 34th annual PAC Days—we hope to see you all next year. Be sure to stay tuned to https://REALTORActionNetwork.ca for ongoing federal affairs updates!
