Potential use of AI to price-fix rent shouldn’t be ignored, says NDP

OTTAWA – On Wednesday afternoon, parliament will vote on an NDP motion that calls giant corporate landlords to testify on whether artificial intelligence (AI) driven price fixing is behind rent increases hurting Canadians.

NDP Housing critic Alexandre Boulerice and Infrastructure and Communities critic Bonita Zarrillo brought this plan before parliament after the Conservatives and Liberals initially refused to look into this alleged corporate price-fixing scheme twice.

“Canadians cannot keep up with rent, they need solutions to lower costs,” said Zarrillo. “But the Liberals have been letting people down. When New Democrats first raised the issue that there might be a situation where corporate landlords are using an illegal AI practice to jack up rents – they completely ignored it. Now we’re asking them if they’ll look into this issue and support working people or keep standing by greedy corporate landlords.”

In September, Dream Unlimited, one of Canada’s largest corporate landlords, admitted to using an AI software that is being investigated in the United States for price-fixing rents. MP Boulerice along with NDP Industry, Science and Innovation critic Brian Masse also called on the Competition Bureau to investigate these allegations.

“It’s horrible that the Liberals and Conservatives would shut down any conversation on rent hikes and illegal price-fixing, not once but twice,” said Boulerice. “Canadians deserve answers on rent hikes, but the Liberals keep disappointing people, all so they won’t upset rich corporate landlords. All while the Conservatives promise to cut and gut affordability supports and affordable housing, all to prop up rich corporations.

“New Democrats are pushing for answers for everyday Canadians, and if corporate landlords are using illegal practices to jack up rents, it needs to be stopped immediately.”