Canada's Conservatives pledge to cut municipal development charges

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is campaigning to cut municipal development charges on new home construction, arguing the levies act as a hidden tax that inflates house prices and chokes supply, as part of a broader housing-and-crime affordability message.

The proposal frames local building levies — Canada's equivalent of developer contributions — as a barrier to supply, a line directly relevant to UK debates over Section 106 obligations and the Community Infrastructure Levy and whether they suppress housebuilding.