housing policy

Some folks may recall witty British actor John Cleese in the famous Monty Python skit "Ministry of Silly Walks" which pointed out government's bureaucratic inefficiency, absurd regulations and spending without real results. Victoria needs housing like a parched forest needs rain, yet council just opened an umbrella and did the equivalent of a Monty Python "silly walk" away.

The discovery of the nest during demolition stalled progress on much-needed housing thanks to Canada's federal Migratory Birds Convention Act, making it illegal to harm them, or active nests, with fines from $5,000 to $300,000.

If you were diagnosed with cancer, would you call a plumber? Of course not. You’d want a doctor—someone who actually treats patients. And if you wanted a new house built, you wouldn’t ask your family physician. You’d call a builder, an architect, or a tradesperson who knows how to pour a foundation and raise a roof. So why do governments keep making this exact mistake when it comes to housing policy?