William Stevenson
Yellowhead, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister is the only G20 leader to take his nation into recession, and Canadians are paying the price. The average family now works 160 days a year just to pay taxes. It means people will work until this week just to pay the government before they can actually start earning for themselves.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G20 country with a prime minister to take the nation into recession. Full-time workers are living in RVs and trailers because they cannot afford homes. Families are spending more on food and rent than they are earning. People are making impossible choices just to survive.”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. member brought up riding size as an issue. He said that his riding is about 20,000 square kilometres. Mine is 83,600 square kilometres, so I feel that it is an even worse situation. The hon. member said he wanted all the votes to be equal. Would he endeavour to have the review a little more often?”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great sorrow for a community in Yellowhead. Two men and two children lost their lives on O'Chiese Road last Friday. While the RCMP investigation is ongoing, local leaders have warned for years that a tragedy like this would happen on that road.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families, their loved ones and all those affected by this tragedy. There can be no more procrastination. I call on the Liberal government to work with Clearwater County and the Province of Alberta to finally provide its share of the funding needed for O'Chiese Road to be made safe.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition today on behalf of fellow chartered professional accountants and other tax preparers who are concerned about how the Canada Revenue Agency authorizes its tax representatives.”
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“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister is the only G20 leader to take his nation into recession, and Canadians are paying the price. The average family now works 160 days a year just to pay taxes. It means people will work until this week just to pay the government before they can actually start earning for themselves. At a time when families are struggling, the Liberals keep spending, borrowing and wasting more taxpayer dollars. Why do the Liberals refuse to admit that their costly policies have driven Canada into recession and are failing Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G20 country with a prime minister to take the nation into recession. Full-time workers are living in RVs and trailers because they cannot afford homes. Families are spending more on food and rent than they are earning. People are making impossible choices just to survive. At the same time, every single day we learn about another instance of wasteful spending by the Prime Minister that exceeds even Justin Trudeau's record. Will the Prime Minister finally reverse the costly Liberal policies that caused the recession?”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. member brought up riding size as an issue. He said that his riding is about 20,000 square kilometres. Mine is 83,600 square kilometres, so I feel that it is an even worse situation. The hon. member said he wanted all the votes to be equal. Would he endeavour to have the review a little more often? I know that in Alberta, we each represent 115,000 people on average, far more than members in some of the other provinces do. Would the Liberals consider shortening the time for the review rather than having it every 10 years?”
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families, their loved ones and all those affected by this tragedy. There can be no more procrastination. I call on the Liberal government to work with Clearwater County and the Province of Alberta to finally provide its share of the funding needed for O'Chiese Road to be made safe.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great sorrow for a community in Yellowhead. Two men and two children lost their lives on O'Chiese Road last Friday. While the RCMP investigation is ongoing, local leaders have warned for years that a tragedy like this would happen on that road. In March, I met with the O'Chiese First Nation council to learn about the long history of trying to get this road fixed. I drove the road myself, and it was atrocious. The nation repeatedly sought assistance from the Liberal government, but its requests were ignored by multiple ministers, so the nation asked me to deliver a binder documenting the safety concerns and requests for action, which I did in March in the House. Months later, there is still no action. Today, a community is grieving an unimaginable loss.”
“Madam Speaker, I know that my hon. colleague was at one point a visitor to the public accounts committee when some of the military generals were there. I specifically asked this question then, and I am wondering if he can comment about it. The Liberals said they want the F-35, but it has changed multiple times, and now they are delaying again. If the procurement process is so bad that it is going to take 15 years, when are we expecting to actually spend the money?”
“The petitioners acknowledge the importance of preventing fraud. However, they believe the current system unfairly penalizes the vast majority of honest taxpayers and tax professionals because of the actions of a small number of bad actors. They are calling on the government to direct the CRA to restore the accessible authorization methods for approved tax preparers and to ensure that fraud prevention efforts are targeted only at those who are bad actors.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition today on behalf of fellow chartered professional accountants and other tax preparers who are concerned about how the Canada Revenue Agency authorizes its tax representatives. The petitioners point out that the CRA has moved to an online-only system, through “My Account”, creating real barriers for Canadians. Seniors, those with disabilities and those who have unreliable Internet and digital skills are left behind. It is unfair. Many of these individuals rely on trusted tax preparers to help them meet their obligations. Under the previous system, only a year ago, certified e-filers could securely and efficiently process authorizations on behalf of their clients. That process worked up until a year ago, but now it has become difficult to get the representatives authorized.”
“Mr. Speaker, three years ago, before the crisis got worse, Conservatives called upon the Liberals to suspend gas taxes for the summer so that Canadians could afford a simple road trip. The Liberals voted no. Now, after years of inflation, with higher grocery costs and during an international energy crisis, we are calling for a stronger measure: to remove all federal fuel taxes for the rest of the year. Once again, the Liberals refuse to act. Instead, the Prime Minister offered a half measure, cutting a third of the taxes for a third of the year. This might have helped back in 2023, but not now. Canadians are struggling. The cheapest gas around is reaching two dollars a litre. People cannot afford a government that is constantly behind. When will the government stop pretending to help and actually deliver real relief?”
“Higher fuel costs drive up prices across the board, forcing Canadians to choose between filling their tank and filling their grocery cart. Therefore, I will ask again: If the government knows that energy costs drive everything else, why will it not remove all federal fuel taxes and deliver real relief?”
“In April, in response to my question regarding removal of all gas taxes, the Liberal minister said that “Albertans are looking for the government to provide solutions” and claimed that her government is “delivering”. What is true is that Albertans are looking for change. What is lacking is any proof that the government is actually delivering. Real action would mean scrapping all federal gas and diesel taxes for the rest of the year, not pausing a third of the taxes for a third of the year. That is not delivery; that is a headline. Statistics Canada has confirmed that Canada continues to have the worst food inflation in the G7. Even with the temporary pause of the excise tax, Canadians are still paying nearly 15% more at the pump than Americans, due to the higher taxes and our weaker dollar. Families feel this every day.”
“A Canada Revenue Agency employee has been charged after allegedly compromising sensitive tax information and is now facing charges including breach of trust, identity theft and fraud following a multi-year investigation. While honest taxpayers are being burdened, cases like this raise questions. Canadians expect the CRA to protect their sensitive financial information. Instead, we see situations where bad actors within the system are able to access, misuse and abuse the data for years before being caught. Tax fairness is not just about how much people pay. It is about ensuring that the system treats everyone equally. That means going after the wrongdoers while respecting and supporting the millions of Canadians who follow the rules.”
“I encourage those watching to visit my website and review my monthly updates, but please know that my team and I are actively working with all parties involved to resolve these delivery issues so that they receive the information they expect from their member of Parliament. People have the right to hear from their elected officials. Taxpayers are paying for the service, and it is unacceptable that my constituents are not receiving it. As the only CPA with public practice experience in the House, every day I hear from law-abiding Canadians and professional accountants. People are struggling to navigate an increasingly complex tax system. Individuals with limited Internet and those lacking computer skills are being discriminated against when dealing with CRA and their access. A recent report out of British Columbia is deeply concerning.”
“Mr. Speaker, over the past year, I have sent various reports and updates to households and businesses across the 35 communities of my beautiful riding. Yellowhead, this last election, has significantly changed boundaries, incorporating areas from five previous ridings. One of the mailers was a tax guide to help individuals, families and businesses to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. Many have found this mailer very helpful. However, hundreds, if not thousands, of my constituents did not receive it due to a lack of coordination between Canada Post, Elections Canada and the House of Commons printing services.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my B.C. colleague for giving us a bit of an Alberta history lesson. Part of it was almost entertaining. When I look at this, I am a little concerned. One of the issues here is that the Liberals want to compare Norway to Alberta, whereas Alberta has had, over the last 50 years, $600 billion in transfer funds go out of the province to the rest of the country. If that was actually in the Alberta heritage fund, we would probably be exceeding Norway at this time. My concern is with the lack of structure. Who is going to be in control of this? How are they going to be appointed? Is the member concerned that this is just going to be another slush fund for the Prime Minister to dictate to his buddies to invest in what the government is concerned about?”
“Mr. Speaker, it would be amusing if the truth and the reality were not so sad. I would like to get my hon. colleague's comments on what the previous speaker said about how Canadians want to have the opportunity to invest. In this situation, does he believe people will not be voluntarily contributing money? It is the government taking from our tax dollars to do it, and that is a completely different perspective from what the Liberals are proposing.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if my colleague would agree with what we heard today in some of the other speeches, which is that there is a little more importance with the oversight committees. Does he agree that there should be some priority on how opposition members are valued on those committees?”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talked a lot about the committee and that sort of thing. The hon. member has the role of shadow minister. Could he explain some of the interventions he has had with people outside of the committee, such as the regular forces who have come to him and the everyday experiences he has had, back and forth, with them?”
“Mr. Speaker, when gas and diesel prices rise, they drive up the cost of everything. Farmers, truckers and grocery stores all feel it, while families pay for it. No wonder Canada's food inflation is the highest in the G7 for the fourth month in a row. Conservatives called upon the Liberals to remove all gas taxes, but the Prime Minister played politics, cutting a third of the tax for a third of the year. When will the Liberals remove the remaining gas taxes for the rest of the year and deliver real relief to struggling Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his institutional knowledge, as I am a relatively new MP. If the bill were to go back to committee, and if it were decided that some things were proven to be wrong, specifically the removal of the $1,000 deposit, would that be something we could put back in to help eliminate some of the problems we already have?”
“Mr. Speaker, prior to my election in 2025, I was a financial agent for multiple members during elections and for further EDAs. I just want the member to clarify that the whole intent of this is to restrict the financial agents within one particular EDA, one particular riding, to not have competition. However, if a financial agent is able to help out in three different ridings that are not competing, that is not really what this is getting at. This is actually just getting at somebody doing multiple ones in one particular election or by-election.”
“Decisions like this, alongside other online failures such as the pay system, undermine the work of dedicated public servants and demotivate those who actually follow the rules. Canadian taxpayers expect qualified people in charge. How can they trust the government when their connections matter more than their competency?”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians are losing confidence in the fairness of our immigration system. The Auditor General found over 153,000 suspected cases of international student visa fraud, yet only a fraction are being investigated. At the same time, the Ethics Commissioner found that a deputy minister who was in immigration at the time broke the Conflict of Interest Act by fast-tracking a friend into an $80,000-a-year role at immigration, despite their having no French, no government experience, no basic systems knowledge and no expertise in federal laws. With the system in its worst shape in years, fraud goes unchecked, the minister avoids accountability and insiders get special treatment.”
“It is no wonder the bureaucrats in Ottawa and across the country do not trust the Liberal government, let alone Canadians who lost confidence years ago. I ask the government this. Why is it prioritizing a rushed transition to a new pay system instead of fixing the existing backlog, cleaning up the data and ensuring that the same costly mistakes are not being repeated?”
“Over 133,000 public employees remain trapped in a backlog of pay errors, with many afraid to retire because they do not trust that they are actually going to get their correct pay. The government is now preparing to move forward with a replacement system while the underlying problems remain unresolved. The Auditor General warned that without fixing the existing data and the backlog, the same errors will simply be transformed into the new system. What has all this cost? The Phoenix system cost $4 billion, and now the government is planning to spend another $3.5 billion on a replacement system that risks repeating the same mistakes. Public servants have been overpaid, underpaid or not paid at all.”
“The RCMP is failing to recruit, train and retain the officers we need to protect our communities, and the government continues to turn a blind eye to the problem. In rural communities, like the ones I represent in Yellowhead, police are stretched to a breaking point. They cannot keep up with the wave of crime while the Liberals delay real bail reform. Even with the announcements, there have been enough photo ops. It is time to stop the illusions, put real boots on the ground and actually protect Canadians. The Auditor General has made it clear that after nearly a decade, billions of dollars and countless promises, the Liberal government has no credible plan to fix the Phoenix pay system.”
“Instead of supporting Canadians, that money is funding a dictatorship that continues to terrorize Ukrainian civilians. Canada cannot control global conflicts, but we can control whether our resources reach the world market. It is time for the government to remove the barriers holding Canadian energy back. There has been photo op after photo op, with dozens of police officers as a backdrop, to announce empty promises. The Liberal Prime Minister and public safety minister pledged to improve safety with 1,000 new RCMP officers. The Auditor General delivered a damning report recently that said the RCMP is now short 3,400 officers. Recruitment is failing. With only 1,500 spots available, the training positions are still not being fulfilled. After a year-long wait to get processed, only 6% of applicants are making it through the process.”
“Mr. Speaker, at a time of global conflict and energy insecurity, Canada should be part of the solution by providing ourselves and our allies a secure and reliable source of energy. Instead, the Prime Minister continues to block Canadian energy development while our allies search elsewhere for supply, leaving us vulnerable to Trump's unjustified tariffs. Today, none of Canada's oil reaches Europe because Liberal laws have made it nearly impossible to build pipelines or the export facilities that are needed to get it there. The consequences are serious. Amid the conflict in the Middle East, the Trump administration continues easing sanctions on Russian oil. Every barrel that Russia sells means more revenue to Putin's war machine.”
“Therefore, if the government would go back to the previous tax system, it would correct the unfair penalizing of taxpayers who are trying to get a new tax preparer. The petitioners state that they are calling for the government to restore accessible authorization methods for approved tax preparers and to ensure that fraud prevention efforts are targeted only at those who actually break the rules.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition on behalf of fellow professional chartered accountants and others who are raising concerns about how the Canada Revenue Agency has authorized its tax representatives. Petitioners point out that the CRA has moved to an online system, “My Account”, creating real barriers for many Canadians. Seniors, persons with disabilities, those without reliable Internet and those without digital skills are being left behind. Many individuals rely on trusted tax preparers to meet their obligations. To get the appropriate authorization has become unreliable, and there is bureaucratic red tape to get through in order to be authorized. That process worked only a year ago but now has become quite difficult.”
“The petitioners therefore call on the government to include Grand Cache in the northern residents deduction program. I support their call and will continue to advocate on their behalf in the House.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Grand Cache, in my wonderful riding of Yellowhead. People are calling on the government to do one thing: restore fairness to the community. It is a remote and isolated town where everything costs more. While these are exactly the kinds of challenges the northern residents deduction is meant to address, a line on the map that was drawn by a bureaucrat in Ottawa has excluded Grand Cache from the program. My constituents are simply asking for fair treatment. If Grand Cache were reclassified, a typical family with children would save about $1,200, which should be left in its pocket. Exceptions have been made in the past for other remote communities, including, recently, Haida Gwaii in British Columbia.”
“Mr. Speaker, “I'll always be worried [the government will] come looking for something...I can never trust the information l get from them”. These are the words of a public servant who is afraid to retire because of a broken pay system the Liberal government refuses to fix. There are 133,000 employees in the same situation. The Auditor General has confirmed that billions have been spent with no clear plan to fix the backlog, meaning that the new system would start with the same flawed data. How can Canadians trust the government to fix the mess it has had a decade to address?”
“A lesson I can take from this is that, no matter how bad the Liberal government has been over the last 10 years, there is hope. If we keep the faith, we can get through this.”
“Mr. Speaker, I recently attended the Alberta Beef Industry Conference, and I want to send a shout-out to the cattle farmers facing today's challenges. Attendees learned about the issues of the day, but it was not all doom and gloom. One inspiring session was presented by James Lawrence, an Alberta boy, born and raised in Calgary, known as the “Iron Cowboy”. He ran Ironman triathlons, breaking many Guinness world records. In 2021, he completed 101 Ironman races in 101 days. That is 3.8 kilometres of swimming, 180 kilometres on a bike and then 42 kilometres running every day. His perseverance is a testament to how the human spirit can push through to accomplish anything. For one of those races, he pulled and pushed Dayton, a boy with cerebral palsy, through the race to make the boy's dream to be an Ironman come true.”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of the member opposite on how bureaucracy does not build any homes and how the government has to have a mechanism to do that. However, he said that the process was going to allow us to use unused lands in the different parts of the departments. Could he tell me where in the bill there are any limits, goals or numbers for departments to say what is possible for vacant lands? My understanding is the departments themselves determine what is vacant, and they may never actually come up with any available lands unless they are given goals and requirements.”
“Mr. Speaker, as a follow-up, I would like to ask the parliamentary secretary if he could tell me if he has any information or any statistics on this mythical unicorn of a first-time homebuyer who is spending $1 million to get $50,000 off their taxes. I have never actually seen a first-time homebuyer buy a brand new home. This GST that you are supposedly giving back to them is only for their very first home, on a brand new home. People in my riding cannot afford a $1-million home the first time they are buying a home. They are never going to get this $50,000, which you said was an average but have said before is actually the maximum. I am just wondering if you have any actual statistics to show that there are people buying new homes as their first home.”
“Instead of dismissing the legitimate concerns of hard-working Canadians as a “hissy fit”, as the Liberal parliamentary secretary did in response to my question, the government should listen to these workers, entrepreneurs and families who are living with the consequences of its policies every day. If the government truly wants to create good-paying jobs, it must restore confidence in Canada as a place to invest, build and grow. When will the government finally take responsibility and remove the barriers holding back Canadians?”
“Yes, global uncertainty and trade tensions matter, but Canada's economic weakness did not start yesterday. For years, businesses across the country have been warning about rising taxes, endless regulatory delays and inflation fuelled by the Prime Minister 's $78-billion deficit. Those decisions are made here in Ottawa. The facts speak for themselves. Canada now has the weakest economic growth in the G7, and GDP per capita has shown negative growth. Investment is leaving the country, productivity is failing, and too many businesses are choosing to expand elsewhere instead of here.”
“Too often, a single parent who made a mistake faces a lengthy and difficult process to correct it, while large corporations can see millions in tax debt forgiven with no transparency. As the only CPA with public practice experience in the House, I proactively engage with the accountants in Yellowhead and across Canada to bring forward their concerns and their ideas for change, specifically with respect to authorizations. Together, we will restore common sense, accountability and fairness to the CRA. I recently asked the Liberals to remove the taxes and red tape holding Canadians back. I asked a simple question: What are they waiting for? Sadly, what Canadians heard was an attempt by the government to blame everyone else for problems it had created.”
“Their leadership makes a real difference in the lives of residents every day. By working together, we can move projects forward and ensure that our communities continue to grow and succeed. As tax season is under way, families across the country are gathering documents to comply with our voluntary self-reporting tax system. Meanwhile, my fellow CPAs and accountants are working long hours helping Canadians navigate an increasingly complex system. My colleagues in the profession are doing a great job. To them, I say stay strong; May is coming soon. However, there is an elephant in the room. While hard-working people are doing the right thing, I continue to hear that the CRA creates confusion and unnecessary errors.”
“Mr. Speaker, at a time when Canadians are feeling economic pressure, it is more important than ever that all levels of government work together. Municipalities are under growing strain. The cost of building and maintaining infrastructure continues to rise, while local councils are still expected to deliver essential services and support the growth of their communities at the levels residents deserve. It is my pleasure to work with the mayors and councillors of 18 municipalities across my riding of Yellowhead. It takes nearly eight hours to travel from north to south, and while it is not always possible to be everywhere on every occasion, I remain in constant contact with my municipal and provincial counterparts. I want to thank my municipal leaders for their dedication, hard work and commitment to their communities.”
“Therefore, the residents of Yellowhead and people across the country are calling on the government to guarantee the right of every Canadian to access and use natural health products, ensure costs are not increased, safeguard the ability to share information and support Bill C-224 .”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of Yellowhead residents. Natural health products are used by millions of Canadians. They include vitamins, probiotics, herbal remedies, protein powders, body care products and many other items. People rely on these products to prevent or address illness and maintain well-being. Regulatory changes by Health Canada have increased their cost and restricted accessibility. Canadians want the freedom to make choices about their own health and the products they use. They also expect natural health practitioners and retailers to be able to provide guidance without facing excessive penalties.”
“I encourage Canadians to visit the website, take the training, learn to recognize the warning signs and join the efforts to protect people at risk. Together we can end human trafficking in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, last weekend I attended Rocky Mountain House's Denim and Diamonds chamber event, where Alberta's own Paul Brandt shared the powerful story behind the #NotInMyCity organization and its mission to combat human trafficking in Canada. Founded in 2017, #NotInMyCity has grown into a national movement that raises awareness, connects law enforcement and community partners, and equips Canadians to recognize the signs of exploitation. Today, more than 20,000 people have completed its training, and its team works with over 40 airports across Canada to help identify trafficking, which is often described as modern-day slavery. It is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the world, targeting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. Awareness saves lives.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised the fastest-growing economy in the G7. Instead, he has delivered the weakest. Today, Statistics Canada reports that Canada is the only country in the G7 with negative growth. How did this happen? It is because of years of inflationary deficits, high taxes and an exploding bureaucracy. Business has stalled. Capital is leaving. The GDP per capita is flat. It is time for the Liberals to remove the taxes and red tape holding Canadians back. What are they waiting for?”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a question regarding whether my colleague thinks it is incompetence or actually skullduggery in the Liberals' trying to get the money without actually coming up with the ideas and the transparency of where the numbers are. The Liberals want to keep producing the GST break for first-time homebuyers, but there are no statistics out there. It looks like they are coming up with a program that exists for nobody, so maybe sometimes they are just guessing at what they want for money because they do not really know what they actually have, as opposed to something that might be a plan that we do not understand.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of two young ladies, Danica Hills and Kayla Peacock, following a fatal collision near Jasper, in my riding of Yellowhead. These two Harry Collinge High School students were dedicated hockey players with the Jasper Bearcats and were driving home after practice. Their passing has left an unimaginable void in the hearts of their families and friends in the wider Hinton and Jasper communities. We are mourning the loss of these two beloved daughters, sisters, classmates and teammates. My deepest condolences are with their loved ones. No parent should ever have to lose a child. No community should have to bear such a loss. As a parent of two daughters, my thoughts are with them. In moments like this, being there for one another matters more than ever. May their memory be eternal.”
“This is a request similar to that made by Haida Gwaii in B.C., which was reclassified just last year, in 2025. Would the government reclassify Grande Cache into zone B under this program?”