Stephanie Kusie
Calgary Midnapore, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, Canada's independent Information Commissioner said she was disappointed with the Liberal changes to access to information. Disappointed is an understatement, considering that yesterday, the President of the Treasury Board could not even respond to the question, and last week, he could not even find the right page.”
“Mr. Speaker, in July, thousands of federal public servants will return to the office four days a week, but several departments are saying there is not enough office space. I would like to ask the President of the Treasury Board how many employees will not have a desk next month.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are saying that they are putting forward legislation in an attempt to make Canada safer, to be harder on criminals and to support victims of crime. However, in my own city of Calgary, in the last 10 days alone, we have had four shootings.”
“Mr. Speaker, I was really disappointed to hear, this evening, that Bill C‑9 passed thanks to a deal between the government and the Bloc Québécois. In my view, that is not fair. That is not really how we should be making laws.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague has been a member of our Conservative team in the House for over a year now. I would love to hear his opinion on how the government is handling public safety and the justice system. I would love to hear what he thinks after a year in the House, compared to how he felt before being elected.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to present e-petition 7284. This petition, which was signed by 1,160 concerned Canadians, calls upon the president of the Treasury Board to remove proposals in the legislative review of the Access to Information Act that seek to dampen transparency and accountability, such as those altering the defini…”
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Every one of 185 lines we hold for Stephanie Kusie, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 4.
“And with the world working around the clock to avoid the worst effects of climate change, it makes no sense from an ethical and a moral perspective to produce and ship more of a substance that is causing a problem, that disrupts the future of our children and our grandchildren. This was from a minister close to the Prime Minister . (1835) In addition, we have the words of the Alberta premier. She said, “I am very concerned the Prime Minister has appointed what appears to be yet another anti-oil and gas Environment Minister.... Not only is she a self-proclaimed architect of the designation of plastics as toxic, but she is a staunch advocate against oil sands expansion, proponent of phasing out oil and gas”.”
“The next thing we have to look at is the team that the Prime Minister has surrounded himself with. We look at the present Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture , who stated, “COP28 calls for groundbreaking goals to triple renewable energy [and] double energy efficiency, and, for the first time ever, we reached a historic consensus to move away from fossil fuels in energy systems.” He went on to say about pipelines: The atmosphere and our climate certainly don't need them. Many of us believe we cannot build pipelines and meet our international climate commitments at the same time.”
“Without introducing a budget, the Prime Minister has doubled the deficit, which is expected to be the largest non-pandemic deficit in Canadian history, giving us the fastest-shrinking economy in the G7 after he promised the fastest growth; homebuilding dropping like a rock, when he promised to double homebuilding; and a record $54 billion in investment that has fled the country. The Prime Minister won the election on his message of “elbows up”, saying that he was the person to handle Donald Trump's threats of tariffs and annexation. Today, the tariffs remain in place, with 50% on steel and aluminum and 25% on autos. Can I point out the obvious fact? There is no trade deal signed. For all of these reasons, we must question the Prime Minister's sincerity and his ability to deliver on what he said he would do.”
“Let us look at his record since he got here, which is also an indicator that his actions match his words. Everyone knows that the right thing to do when preparing to do something is to underpromise and over-deliver. Let us see if the Prime Minister has in fact done this. This is the most basic of lessons for anyone, whether it is in Dale Carnegie or for schoolchildren. It is to underpromise and over-deliver. All major projects that have been announced to date were projects that were previously announced. No oil pipeline made that list of major projects.”
“When asked by the leader of the official opposition at industry committee if he supported Justin Trudeau's decision to veto the Northern Gateway pipeline, the Prime Minister replied, “given both [the] environmental and commercial reasons...I think it's the right decision.” That is interesting. It sounds like a 180 compared with his position today. Then, just six months later, at COP26, the Prime Minister said, “we have...far, far too many fossil fuels in the world” and “as much as half of oil reserves, proven reserves, need to stay in the ground”. These are words from a Prime Minister who is trying to convince us that he wants to restore the promise of Canada and restore the prosperity of Canada. How can Canadians be encouraged by these words or believe his sincerity about doing something?”
“Canadians are suffering. The government just received an F from Food Banks Canada on food security. One cannot get a worse grade than an F. Canadians earning less than $75,000 are spending 57.3% on groceries, utilities and transportation. Food inflation is rising 70% faster than the government's inflation target. For all of these reasons, Canadians are suffering. For all of these reasons, the Prime Minister needs to keep his promise of restoring Canada's prosperity. (1830) What hope has the Prime Minister given the official opposition? What hope has the Prime Minister given Canadians? His record from before he arrived in the House of Commons is not encouraging. We all know the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, so let us take a look at the past behaviour of the Prime Minister.”
“Bill C-69 , as members will remember, is the “no more pipelines” bill, the bill that prohibits any type of genuine infrastructure being built in this country that allows for our prosperity. Bill C-48 , the “no more tankers” ban, does not permit Canada to export its natural resources abroad. We could also eliminate the industrial carbon tax. The government likes to say it has eliminated the carbon tax. We know that this is not true. The industrial carbon tax still exists, and this is another step that the Prime Minister needs to take, in addition to immediately repealing the oil and gas emissions cap. Until the Liberals take these steps, they have yet to prove to us, the official opposition, and to Canadians that they are serious about digging us out of this hole that they created and restoring quality of life to Canadians.”
“We want to see the government succeed in its major projects. We did everything we could to give licence to the government. We wanted to give the Prime Minister everything he needed to begin these major projects, to fulfill his promise to Canadians. However, we have yet to see one new project announced or one shovel in the ground. Relative to today's motion, we have yet to see the Prime Minister commit to taking the first steps to achieving these major projects, of which eliminating the production cap is only one step. We have offered the following suggestions to the Prime Minister and the Liberal government several times, on which they refused to act: repeal Bill C-69 and repeal Bill C-48 .”
“This is an epidemic in our country. Failure is not an option, because housing costs are through the roof. Failure is not an option, because investment is fleeing this country. When we are talking about the emissions cap, we are talking about the obstacles that the Liberal government created for over a decade, obstacles that prevented Canada from becoming a prosperous nation. We are a nation today that has created a system of dependence and a culture of desperation, one that could have been avoided by investing in our natural resources sector. The Prime Minister won his mandate for one reason, and one reason only. Canadians, for better or for worse, put their trust in him to do what he said he was going to do: build a prosperous Canada. The Conservatives gracefully supported Bill C-5 in the spring.”
“Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure for me to rise to speak in the House on behalf of the people of Calgary Midnapore. [ English ] The motion we have before us today is, "That the House call on the Prime Minister to immediately repeal the oil and gas emissions cap, which in effect is a production cap.” We are standing here today talking about the emissions cap, but what we are really talking about is not just the emissions cap. We are talking about the future of a nation. Failure is not an option here. Failure is not an option, because hundreds of thousands of jobs are on the line. Failure is not an option, because seniors are starving and are going to food banks. They are on fixed incomes. They do not know where they are going to find their next meal. Failure is not an option, because we have record youth unemployment.”
“Mr. Speaker, the member is talking a lot about the new Prime Minister . He seems to want to forget the record of the last 10 years. In fact, the member did not even want to run under the previous prime minister. That is how much he wanted to forget the record of the last 10 years. He was a part of a government that did everything it possibly could to stop the progress and prosperity of the nation. I have a constituent, Belinda, who wrote to me and said, “Please help Canadians. My husband works a job downtown, and I work. We have three teenagers. We are not able to afford anything but basic necessities. I have never written to my MP but feel like the whole country is falling apart. Mental health is being affected. We no longer have the funds to do anything fun. We have to pull our kids out of sports next year, and it's killing me inside.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told Canadians that he was the man with the plan, yet six months later, his budget is nowhere to be seen, and experts now project that his deficit will be double what Trudeau already created. The Prime Minister is proving one thing: Liberals, no matter how they brand themselves, cannot be trusted to handle our finances. Canadians expect and deserve a government that will work for them on the issues that matter the most, yet 60% of Canadians say that the cost of living keeps them up at night. When will the Liberals start acting like it?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister claims to be different. Instead, six months in, Canadians are now learning that the Prime Minister is no different than the last guy. As Liberals increase spending on their well-connected consulting friends by 37%, everyday Canadians pay more and more for gas and for food. Butter is up 64%, apples are up 60%, and rice is up 74%. Here is a lesson for my Liberal friends: A deficit that doubles is not different, is it?”
“Mr. Speaker, after telling Canadians to live in shipping containers, will the housing minister go home to his $2-million penthouse in Vancouver, his 11 acres in Tofino or his $5.6-million property in Squamish? The hypocritical minister is telling young Canadians stuck in their parents' basement that housing prices do not need to come down. Does he not see how arrogant and condescending that sounds from atop his Vancouver penthouse?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Hon. Charles James Mayer passed away on April 24 in Winnipeg. First elected to the House of Commons in 1979, he served as minister of state for grains and oilseeds, minister of western economic diversification and minister of agriculture. He was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2005. Charlie was also a member of my husband's family. When I first met him in 2017, I was preparing to moderate the Conservative leadership debate. When I asked for his advice, he said that I could use his cattle prod if I needed to, that it would keep them in line. Charlie was kind, thoughtful and humble to a fault. He was respected for his fierce intelligence, his humanity, compassion and decency. He was a great Canadian but remained until the end, like myself, a proud westerner.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think that this is a unique issue and very different from the other motions that we have seen in the House over the last few days. Yes, of course, if Quebeckers paid, then they deserve some of the money that went to GC Strategies.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague as he makes his return to the House. Yes, GC Strategies should pay the interest as well, as Canadians are required to do on their taxes, for example. The member touches on something far more important, which is doing the right thing. How can the government, or even Canadians, have faith in a Prime Minister who is not committed to doing the right thing, when he has indicated that he will not go beyond the requirements of the Ethics Commissioner? Doing the right thing starts at the top. Right now, Canadians do not have that leadership from the Prime Minister .”
“Mr. Speaker, I completely agree that seven years is not enough. We need to ban these two men and, of course, GC Strategies from ever receiving Government of Canada contracts through other companies. I completely agree with my colleague.”
“Mr. Speaker, this is what the government does. It provides breadcrumbs of examples of things, trying to indicate to the Canadian people that it is doing right. However, the reality is that GC Strategies is only banned for seven years; it is not banned for a lifetime. It can create another entity to win a contract with the Canadian people. This minuscule piece of good is simply tiny and incomparable to the wrong that was done. So much more has to be done. The Auditor General says the government is not even following the rules; it is not enforcing the rules. It must begin to do this. Little examples like this are not satisfactory.”
“Canadians put their trust in the government, and it betrayed that trust. Here is an opportunity for the Liberals and the government to rebuild that trust. They have to get our money back. They have to make it right for the hard-working people who send their taxes to Ottawa. The bad thing has happened, they let that bad thing happen, but this is their chance to make it right. Do the right thing and support this motion; never let GC Strategies have another contract, or its affiliates; and get Canadians' money back.”
“In addition, there is following the rules, and then there is doing what is right. Buying a $9-million condo in New York City is within the rules, but it is not right. Spending $100,000 on catering, if one is the Governor General, is within the rules, but it is not right. The Prime Minister says he is following the rules with the Ethics Commissioner, but is he really doing what is right in not disclosing all of his assets? GC Strategies did not follow the rules, and it did not do what was right. Kristian Firth, if he is listening right now, did something wrong. He stole from the Canadian people. He should never be allowed to have another contract again, and he should return the money to the people of Canada. However, the Liberal government let him do it. It did not see our money, the Canadian people's money, as its money.”
“How was GC Strategies even paid when we cannot prove that the deliverables were received? How is that even possible? It is mind-blowing. The least someone can expect when they pay for something is that they received something. The Auditor General said that the rules are clear and there are no further policies that need to be made. The Liberal government need only enforce the rules and follow the rules. Yet, the government seems incapable of doing that time and time again. It is incapable of following the rules and enforcing the rules for one of two reasons: It is incompetent, and we have seen incompetence from the government time and time again; or, the second reason, the real reason, I think, it does not care. It does not care about our money, never mind following the rules.”
“I followed the rules, I invested my money, and yet I can't feed myself and can't stay in my home.” It is heartbreaking. The second thing he is seeing is lifelong Canadians cashing out their assets and moving to other countries to have a better standard of living for a lower cost. It is heartbreaking, but these are the things that are happening. I can assure members that these people are price-comparison shopping. In addition, in 54% of contracts, it could not be proven that deliverables were received. This one blows my mind. Again, as a former public servant, we were obligated to sign. I had a conversation with the Auditor General when she presented her report, sections 32, 33 and 34. Section 33 says the employee must prove that the deliverables were received before they sign the cheque and pay the organization.”
“This reeks of extortion. It reeks of collusion. I think of a beautiful young mom in Legacy, one of my communities. When I met her at the door, she was crying because she has two sons with a genetic condition that only allows them to have a keto diet. She had fed them hamburger patties, the stacks of hamburger patties that can be bought in packages of 16 or 32 at Superstore, for four consecutive nights. She had nothing else to feed them. The Liberal government is overcharging the public and taking advantage of this unique situation, and that is not right. (1135) I went to see my banker two weeks ago. He told me that he is seeing two things he had not seen in his 20 years of banking. The first is that seniors are coming into his office, crying, saying, “I did everything right. I did everything by the book.”
“Not showing our work is the first lesson that children learn in elementary school. What does that say, when people are not even willing to document and show the work that they did? How can we come to any conclusion other than the work that was paid for was not necessarily completed? Really, there is no other conclusion that we can draw other than this. It is really hard to come to another conclusion. In addition, 82% of federal organizations could not prove that fees did not exceed market rates. Every Canadian in Canada who is shopping right now is doing price comparisons. I have no doubt about that. I was a public servant for 15 years, and when I had to purchase an item, the first thing I had to do was get three quotes. I was obligated, each and every time, to choose the lowest cost item. However, this did not happen with GC Strategies.”
“In 33% of the contracts, the government could not show that the contract resources had the experience or qualifications necessary to complete the work. Now, anyone knows that, when applying for a job, the first thing to do is to give a resume, a CV. We would never go to a doctor or dentist who was not certified. We also demand that our tradespeople are certified. By the way, I have many tradespeople in my riding who cannot find work as a result of the uncertain conditions that have been created by the government. We demand that our tradespeople have certifications, yet for anyone, everyone, who worked for GC Strategies, we cannot necessarily ensure that this was the case. We cannot ensure that they were certified to do the work they did. In 33% of the cases, we could not verify it. In 58% of the cases, time sheets were poorly documented.”
“It is, of course, very unfortunate that the Auditor General has determined, once again, in reviewing GC Strategies, that this was not the case with the government and that the government has once again disappointed the citizens who had placed their trust in it. In fact, the government went beyond disappointing its people. It betrayed the trust of the people who put it here. [ Translation ] Mr. Speaker, I would also like to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk . [ English ] The Liberal government betrayed the trust that was placed in it by its citizens, and not just in one way, but in several ways. This was over 31 departments, nine which had more than 1 million dollars' worth of contracts with GC Strategies. Let us examine some of the ways this happened.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment and thank, again, the incredible citizens of Calgary Midnapore, who have returned me here for my fourth term. It is an honour to be here to represent them once again. When our citizens vote for us, when they bring us to the House, they really bring us here with one thing, and that is their trust. They trust that we, when we come to this place, which they have chosen to put us into, will do the right thing, say the right things and take the right actions. With that comes the responsibility of deciding how we will spend their hard-earned money. This is one of the greatest elements of the trust our citizens put in us when we are here.”
“Mr. Speaker, if it was not bad enough that the government did not check for fair market value, Canadians could hope that at least we got something in return for $64 million. That is not the case here. This is how Liberals are spending taxpayers' money, overpaid and with nothing to show for it. The Auditor General said only 54% of contracts audited could prove deliverables were received. Is this the Prime Minister 's new fiscal discipline, or, for the Liberals, is it business as usual? When will we get our money back?”
“Mr. Speaker, if someone is spending $64 million on a product, they would probably think to at least do some price comparisons. However, the Liberal government did no such thing. The Auditor General said that in 82% of GC Strategies contracts examined, there was no evidence that fees being charged by this two-person company were based on a fair market value. Is this the Prime Minister 's idea of a new fiscal discipline, or does price really not matter to Liberals when it comes to paying their well-connected friends? When will we get our money back?”
“If the Prime Minister is really committed to national unity and wants to make us the economic engine of the G7, he should start with repealing a decade of anti-energy laws Bill C-69 and Bill C-48 , the production cap and the industrial carbon tax. He needs to get rid of them.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to talk out of both sides of his mouth when it comes to Canadian energy. He says he wants Canada to be an energy superpower, but then says it can only be done with national consensus. He says he wants to green-light projects, but then presents an approval process of a minimum of two years. He says he wants provinces to present a list of ready-to-go projects, but then he came out of yesterday's meeting with no list. How sad is it that the premiers were just happy to meet with an adult after 10 years of the last guy, but he is no more serious when it comes to taking the necessary steps to unleash our energy sector?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that he would be guided by a new fiscal discipline. He promised to rein in spending, yet here he is bringing in a bill that includes $500 billion in expenditures with no budget. Single mothers, seniors and small businesses make a budget before they spend. Why in the world would a banker not do the same? Is he really committed to an new fiscal discipline or is he no different than his predecessor?”
“Mr. Speaker, Liberals never learn, and they never keep their promises. The Treasury Board president said in the last Parliament that she would find savings of $7.1 billion on high-paid consultants. Instead, the government is now spending another $6 billion on high-paid consultants. The Prime Minister said that he would limit increases in operational spending to no greater than 2%, yet he has presented a half-trillion-dollar bill to Canadians. Who is the Prime Minister going to choose: Canadians or his friends?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that he would be guided by a new fiscal discipline. He said that he would limit operational expenditures to no greater than an increase of 2%, yet he has presented a bill of half a trillion dollars to Canadians. Single mothers, seniors and small businesses all make a budget before they spend. One would think that a highly esteemed banker would know that and would do that. Is he really committed to a new fiscal discipline, or is he just like the last guy?”