Stephanie Kusie · TranslatePolitics.ca

Oral Questions

Public Service of Canada

2026-06-16

“I think the government is wasting money on office space. How many desks will be empty next month?”

Oral Questions

Access to Information

2026-06-16

“The information commissioner said she was disappointed. You couldn't answer a question about it yesterday. I want you to fix this problem I think you caused. Will you change it back? Yes or no?”

Government Orders

Protecting Victims Act

2026-06-09

“I don't like Bloc MPs voting for Liberal bills. I want you to admit the government made a deal with the Bloc Québécois.”

“I'm fluffing up my colleague by asking his opinion on the government's handling of public safety and the justice system. I want to hear how being elected changed his perspective.”

“I don't think Canada is safer because there were four shootings in Calgary. I want to blame that on the Liberal government.”

Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-05-29

“I want to blame the other party for a bad economy. High costs are their fault. Businesses are investing elsewhere. We're the only G7 country in a recession. The government should help Canadians instead of their friends.”

“The Prime Minister is spending too much. Canada is the only G7 country in a recession. He should be helping Canadians, not his rich friends.”

Statements by Members

Alberta

2026-05-29

“Alberta is an important part of Canada. I want Alberta to be treated well. I don't like the Liberals. They make bad choices for Alberta. They make people sad. They don't help anyone. Conservatives would do better than the Liberals.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as an MP from Alberta, I can tell members that the foundation of our present environment is decades of being ignored or even harmed by years of ideological Liberal government. Albertans want to be treated the same way they feel about their fellow Canadians: with amity, with respect and with the opportunity to not only grow as a province but also fully contribute to the Confederation. Sadly, this has not been the case. Liberal governments have perpetually ignored Alberta, stifled our growth and, therefore, limited the growth of this nation, leading to our current situation of economic despair, no housing and two million Canadians visiting food banks. I firmly believe that not only Albertans but also Canadians deserve a government that believes in every corner of this nation and that would allow Canadians to contribute and prosper to their full capacity. Only a federal Conservative government can save Canada.

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Statements by Members

Finance

2026-05-08

“The government is spending too much. Adding debt is not sustainable. Taxpayers must spend $59 billion on interest payments this year. That's $3,400 for every Canadian family. The government doesn't care about our finances or our future. Seniors, families and youth deserve better. Under the Conservatives, Canada would spend less and do better.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Liberals like to claim they are efficient stewards of public funds. However, by 2030, they will have added $1 trillion to the national debt since taking office. Their reckless spending means taxpayers will pay $59 billion servicing that debt this year alone. That is $3,400 for every single Canadian family. This is not sustainable, and it is not something a government that cares about our finances or our future would do. In fact, their so-called savings plan is so low on the priority list that it was barely mentioned in the costly Liberal budget. With this Prime Minister, it is more cost, more debt and more of the same. Seniors who built this nation deserve better. Families just trying to survive deserve better. The future of our nation, our youth, deserves better. Under a Conservative government, Canada can and will get back on the path of prosperity.

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Private Members' Business

Financial Administration Act

2026-05-07

“The government writes off billions in taxes some companies don't pay. One company got $133 million written off. This bill makes the government publish who they let off and how much, if it's over $2 million. Then companies have reason to pay up. And the government can't hide who they let off. We want that transparency. Other MPs helped get the bill this far. I'm glad they worked together.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour and a pleasure to rise on behalf of the wonderful citizens of Calgary Midnapore to speak on their behalf. The citizens of Calgary Midnapore recently went through something all Canadians went through, and that is tax filing at the end of April. Of course, this is the time when we all must do our duty to society and pay our fair share of taxes. At least, this is what we are supposed to do. Of course, there are always those who make the decision to not file their taxes. There are those who perhaps cannot pay what they owe or are reluctant to pay what they owe. Certainly, it is a problem that compounds over time, but the majority of Canadians, certainly more than a fair share of Canadians, want to do the right thing, and that is pay their part to society and contribute to this incredible nation that we live in. One way we do that is by paying our taxes. I want to thank the member for Simcoe North, who had the foresight to recognize that there was this lack of oversight in Canadian society and that there are corporate members who are not necessarily filing taxes for one reason or another. They owe an amount of tax to our society but are not paying it, and it is not being recognized that they have not kept their commitment to Canadian society in not having paid these amounts. I just want to take a moment to thank the member for Simcoe North, who went through so much effort and recognized this was a problem. He is an expert in finance. I have been in his office when he has CNBC on and is following the financial markets, so it is no surprise to me that he would have this type of thinking and that he would recognize this as something that needs to be fixed. I also want to thank him for taking the time to work with the other parties to gain their collaboration in bringing the bill forward and seeing it successfully to this stage in our process at the House. That is something very rare and special to do. I have never drawn higher than 238th in the private member's bill draw, so I am very grateful that, first of all, he had this good fortune; second, that he was able to see this idea; and third, that he had the tenacity and the persistence to work through the bill with the government. I would also like to recognize the government's piece in this collaboration. Of course, as sitting members of the public accounts committee, we went through the bill in detail. We thought about all of the different aspects that would have to be considered. There was compromise on all sides, and again I want to thank the member for his compromise in that regard as well, because it is very easy to get very stubborn when it comes to one's own legislation. There could be something that they think should be a part of the bill, that they think is more accurate or that they do not want to include, but the member went beyond that. Of course, we know that the Canada Revenue Agency is responsible for collecting debts owing to the government, but in recent years, the CRA has been waiving debts owing to the government in record numbers. Last year, the government wrote off $4.7 billion. It forgave $10.9 billion. In remissions it had $0.4 billion, and in waivers it had $2.6 billion. This is a total of $18.4 billion, which at this point would actually be close to 25% of the deficit we have, not only this year, but also last year. At a time when we are encroaching upon $1.63 trillion in national debt, which we will get to by 2030, every single dollar counts, so I am grateful that the member saw this as the right thing to do for society. It is important for corporations to pay their fair share. At this time when we are in need of such fiscal prudence and responsibility, everyone is required to pay their fair share at this time, and that includes corporations. The member for Simcoe North is not the only one who recognized this lack of oversight, this lack of acknowledgement, of people who are not paying their fair share. There are media outlets such as The Globe and Mail, and Bill Curry of course has done an excellent job of following the public accounts committee and the Treasury Board. Speaking of which, I am going to do a little promotion. On June 2, I am looking very much forward to taping, with the ArriveCAN team, the ArriveCAN second-year anniversary, and we will be distributing that at the end of June. Bill Curry has been fantastic in terms of following stories such as these. CBC News also did a story on the $133 million written off that was owed by a single taxpayer, so this definitely is something that needed to be addressed. Write-offs and waivers for taxes owing to the government were done in secret because of privacy provisions in the Income Tax Act, and the member wanted to bring these numbers to light. Historically, while the CRA spends a lot of time pursuing small businesses and ordinary Canadians who owe minor amounts to the CRA and to Canada, some major corporations have gone unaccountable and unnamed. The legislation would create a public registry that would require the Treasury Board to annually publish a list of corporate entities that had debts owing to the government waived, forgiven or written off. The amount we put forward originally, the member was thinking, was somewhere from $1 million to $5 million. The number that was landed upon was $2 million, which is certainly a substantial amount, but I think it is a good amount that would really provide corporations with an incentive to pay their taxes so they do not end up on this list as well. The contents of the public registry would have to include the following information in relation to each debt: the name, including any business name of the corporation, trust company or partnership that owes the debt or obligation to which His Majesty has a claim; the specific amount that was waived, written off or forgiven; the period to which the amount relates; the act under which the debt, obligation or claim arose; and any other information that the president of the Treasury Board may require. The enactment would amend the Financial Administration Act to require the president of the Treasury Board to establish and maintain this public registry of certain large debts and obligations owed by businesses to His Majesty, as well as claims by His Majesty against businesses that have been waived, written off or forgiven. It would also make consequential amendments to other acts. Here are some observations in relation to this. In 2023-2024, 11 companies received $1.2 billion in combined write-offs for tax debt and other obligations, and 11 companies accounted for nearly one-quarter of the $4.9 billion in write-offs in fiscal year 2023-2024. We are talking about a small number of bad players. The bill's being passed would be a huge step in the direction of transparency. Certainly, on this side, we have always attempted to fight for transparency, such as in the appointment of a parliamentary budget officer who will always stand up for transparency and call the government out on things that do not appear to be accounted for. Of course, we advocate against tax increases and new tax measures for everyday Canadians. Why should corporations get enormous debt write-offs when they target the little guy for significantly smaller amounts? In summary, I want to again thank the member for Simcoe North for bringing forward the legislation. The right thing to do in society is to pay one's fair share that is owed to Canada and to one's fellow citizens. In addition, we are unfortunately in a terrible fiscal position, with significant debt as well as deficits, including $65 billion this year alone, and deficits for the last 15 years. The piece of legislation that is before us looks to remedy this.

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Government Orders

Report Stage

2026-05-04

“I want my party to look like we care more than the government. I say it's the government's fault victims don't hear 'I believe you'.”

“I'm thanking other parties for helping us change this bill in committee. The NDP used to help but now they joined the Liberals. Our party agrees on most of the changes.”

“I'm disgusted by Liberals lecturing me about harassment when their own ministers have been found guilty of it. And don't try to impress me by quoting some international law expert, I can quote a different expert right back at you.”

“I want to make it very simple. We should say”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I thank all my colleagues. It is always a pleasure to be here in the House to speak on behalf of the good people of Calgary Midnapore. The people of Calgary Midnapore, of course, reside in the wonderful province of Alberta, and I am going to start my speech today with great words that came out of a campaign in Alberta in the year 2015. Those words are “I believe you”. This was a campaign created in 2015 by the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services to support victims of sexual assault. When someone comes forward and claims that they are a victim of sexual assault, there should be no other response than “I believe you”, yet 97% of sexual assaults go unreported. That means 97% of persons who have been the victims of sexual assault do not have the courage to come forward to tell someone their story, what happened to them, because they are unsure that they will hear the words “I believe you”. This is the one line that a survivor of sexual assault needs to hear. What we are hearing today from the government, what it is saying to victims of sexual assault, is that it does not believe them. The Liberals need to say to these victims that they believe them. This was the crux of this incredible campaign that came out of Alberta: “I believe you”. Of course, Conservatives are proud of and support all of our men and women in uniform, who serve Canada. We believe that we must continue to address sexual misconduct, as well as discrimination, racism and other forms of harassment, because all military members deserve to have a safe and respectful workplace. The greatest way we can do that today is by saying that, regarding Bill C-11, “I believe you”, that we believe them, that the House believes them. The previous Conservative government accepted all recommendations from the Deschamps report to eliminate all forms of sexual harassment in the CAF, but after 11 long years of Liberal government and two more reports from Supreme Court justices, victims of military sexual misconduct are still no closer to having their cases dealt with properly. The Liberals' only idea on military sexual misconduct is to force those cases into the overburdened and even slower civilian justice system without providing resources to local police forces or provincial courts to deal with military cases. When victims of sexual assault hear that these processes are being delayed, that they are being pushed off by the federal government, what they are hearing is that the government does not believe them. What these victims need to hear is “I believe you”. The Liberals are trying to do what is politically expedient. They want to punt this off to the provinces and municipalities by pushing sexual assault cases off their table and into an already overburdened civilian police and court system. We have seen this time and time again. I think of a great example in my incredible riding of Calgary Midnapore, which is cell phone towers. Constituents are very concerned every time another cell phone tower goes up. They create a petition that they bring it to my attention, and I forward it to the Minister of Industry. I say that my constituents are very concerned about these cell phone towers, about the impacts that they will have on their safety and well-being. What the minister does is punt it off to the municipal level of government. She puts off making a decision and taking responsibility for the actions of the government, particularly on an issue that is so relevant to the health and well-being of Canadians, certainly as much as the issue being discussed here today is. However, this is what Liberals do. They deflect responsibility. They try to muddy the waters by not taking jurisdiction of the decision. Instead, they try to defuse the decision-making process to avoid the responsibility. That is what we are seeing here today. Instead of listening to the legal experts and increasing independence in the military justice system, the Liberals want to ensure that they can politically interfere with ministerial directives and ensure that the director of defence counsel services, the director of military prosecutions and the provost marshal general stay under the thumb of the chain of command of the chief. That is what we are seeing. It is essentially the Minister of Defence saying, “I don't believe you”. Conservatives carefully studied Bill C-11 to ensure concerns from all stakeholders were taken into consideration. We are proud of the progress we made at the Standing Committee on National Defence to improve Bill C-11 and to ensure that the voices of victims and survivors were heard and considered in the studying and amending of this legislation, but most of the witnesses at the committee are asking that victims of military sexual assault be given the choice of what justice system they make their report to. Is that not the very least that we can do for these victims, these individuals who have received the greatest offence a person can possibly go through, to have their person violated? The very least we can do is give them power in the decision to decide how this abuse of trust would be handled, but the government is not willing to do that. The Liberals are essentially saying, “I don't believe you”. The brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have put in the work for decades to ensure that no one else has to experience what they went through. It is time for all of us to stand up, be allies to them and say, “I believe you”. We need to do what we know is the right thing for the next generation, for both our sons and our daughters, not only for those serving in the CAF, but across Canada. As the mother of a son, I will tell members that my husband and I have had this conversation with him. We hope he will carry it forward with him in all the decisions he makes. Removing victim choice on how to report sexual offences does nothing to solve the problem. It only deepens it. After 11 long years, the Liberals are, once again, letting down the brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces by saying, “We don't believe you”. If Parliament is serious about doing all it can to support those who serve, then all members of Parliament must retain the ability for military victims to choose which reporting path is the safest, most credible and most operationally workable for them, regardless of where they are in Canada. We need to speak with one voice as a House and say this to them: “We believe you. We recognize what you have been through, and we honour you by giving you the choice with how you are going to deal with this violation that has occurred to you. We believe you.” In closing, I want to share another incredible story about Alberta, and it is the #NotInMyCity campaign, which was created to deal with the horrific problem of human trafficking. We have seen the incredible ambassador Paul Brandt and heard his message in his song Alberta Bound. Extending beyond musical capabilities, as he and his wife are true songbirds, they advocate for those who are the victims of human trafficking. We should say each and every day, not only in my great province of Alberta, but also across Canada and in this chamber, “We believe you” and “I believe you”. Members of CAF should be given the opportunity to make their decisions as such.

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Oral Questions

Natural Resources

2026-05-04

“You are not doing enough. I want you to sign real trade deals. Stop wasting taxpayer money on your trips. Canadians need more results than hot air. They need you to drop tariffs and keep your promises. Europeans want our LNG. When will the new pipeline be finished? I just want the date.”

“I want to criticize the Prime Minister. He spends too much and blocks resource exports. We already have trade deals with Europe. He needs to get out of the way. All he does is talk and pose for photos. I want to know when our first LNG shipment will actually reach Europe.”

Oral Questions

Finance

2026-04-28

“I want the Prime Minister to promise he won't spend more than $31 billion more than the government takes in. Conservatives want the government to stop borrowing-and-spending so much; the Prime Minister should know better than to spend like he's got a credit card with no limit. A big a deficit is bad for the economy. Will the Prime Minister promise to keep the deficit below $31 billion?”

“The Prime Minister spends too much. Canadians are forced to use credit cards. The finance minister should spend less in his economic statement.”

Government Orders

Government Business No. 9—Changes to the Standing Orders

2026-04-27

“You're unable to get this done. Admit it. We'd work with you if you were honest.”

“The Liberals stole our official opposition powers. Canadians didn't vote for this. I'm sad about it.”