Prime Minister Mark Carney said the deal will let municipalities cut development charges in Ontario by up to 50 per cent for three years, while the federal and provincial governments pick up the tab for $8.8 billion in infrastructure that those fees would have helped pay for. (The Logic) 

Talking point: Carney promised to lower development charges as part of his federal election campaign as a way to spur housing construction and make the homes more affordable. The announcement follows a federal bill tabled last week that would give provinces and territories access to a $1.7 billion fund to increase homebuilding. Ontario plans to use its share to cut HST on some new homes. New home construction has been in a slump in Ontario, but rebounded slightly in February with a 17 per cent year-over-year increase in new construction. That’s despite the situation in Toronto, where construction dropped 28 per cent.