$52 BILLION GONE? Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie EXPOSES Liberal spending spree

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-07

[00:00:01]Uh, thank you, Mr. President. It's always a pleasure to be here. I genuinely miss this committee, I have to say, after spending close to 3 years on it prior to the election. So, it is great to be here, and President, it is great to see you. Thank you so much for coming here today. I'm so sorry, uh, we haven't had time to meet for coffee as of yet. I hope your schedule allows for it sometime soon. Minister, you're here today to defend your government's 2026-2027 main estimates, which detail over $502 billion in spending. That's $15 billion higher than your 2025-2026 main estimates, and a stark contrast to the promise of savings that you, the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister, pledged to Canadians. Your press release for the main estimates begins with these words, "Prudent fiscal management combines the efficient use of public funds with investments to support Canadians and drive economic growth."

[00:01:01]I want to focus on the phrase "efficient use of public funds" specifically.

[00:01:06]You sit in a Liberal cabinet, which in 11 years since forming government, has not once presented a surplus budget, and are a member of a Liberal government, which since 2015, has doubled the entire spend of the federal government, putting the Canadian taxpayers of not only today, but also tomorrow, my children and your children, on the hook for your reckless spending.

[00:01:30]Reckless spending, which includes a minimum of $60 million on the ArriveCAN application, $300 plus million dollars on the PrescribeIT program, $6.6 billion on a benefits delivery program, which has left tens of thousands of seniors without access to crucial benefits like OAS, just to name a few.

[00:01:54]And reckless spending, which has seen the total cost of professional and special services across the government to rise to an incredible 26.6 billion dollars in the main estimates alone. I want to talk specifically about your comprehensive expenditure review.

[00:02:10]I've questioned you before on this plan and have noted how actions speak louder than words. This is still true today.

[00:02:18]Since announcing the CER, the government has tabled the 2025 budget, which saw 90 billion in net new spending announced.

[00:02:27]You've tabled but you've tabled the supplementary estimates C for 2025-2026, which asked for an additional 5.4 billion in spending last year, and you've tabled these main estimates, which asked for 502 and 2 billion dollars in approvals.

[00:02:44]None of this spending, President, is less and none of this has shown any progress in the CER.

[00:02:50]In these main estimates specifically, you presented a plan which sees 64 departments and agencies requesting more money in 2026 than last year.

[00:03:01]This includes your own department, which has 11 billion dollars in more more spending this year over last.

[00:03:10]Not only is it total is the total spending on departments higher, the actual cost of bureaucracy or personnel is up as well in the main estimates, with personnel spending up 3 billion dollars and 62 federal organizations boosting their personnel spending from last year. This is coming despite despite your promise to rein in the size of the federal public service, which your government has nearly doubled in the past decade.

[00:03:38]Then comes the spring economic update.

[00:03:41]As shadow minister for the Treasury Board, I was holding out high hopes that this update would finally outline progress made with the CER or showcase how the government is taking its responsibility seriously to be the efficient steward of public funds as you and your superiors have promised.

[00:04:00]However, this wasn't the case. The spring update doubled the deficit that Justin Trudeau had expected for 2026-2027 and added another $37 billion in net new spending to our debt. In fact, the words comprehensive expenditure review appeared just four times in the 167-page document. With one of these mentions being tied to to consultant spending, something that even the Liberal-appointed Parliamentary Budget Officer raised flags with yesterday in her reports on the spring economic update.

[00:04:34]Noting that despite previous government initiatives to cap or reduce spending on consultants, the public accounts indicate that this spending item has increased consistently in recent years.

[00:04:48]Canadians expect prudent fiscal management of their tax dollars.

[00:04:53]However, your government is not delivering on that, President.

[00:04:58]With the spring update, we learned that as a result of the past decade of Liberal spending, the cost to service the national debt will now be $59 billion representing a cost of $3,400 for every Canadian family. Sorry, there's a point of order I want to respond. Mr. Denko, what's your point of order? The point here is to ask the minister questions. So, if point of order. Is there a question coming up? Okay, Mr. Denko, I asked at the very beginning that we hold our point of orders for actual procedural issues. I ask you respect that.

[00:05:29]Please continue. You have 50 seconds.

[00:05:33]Uh thank you very much, President. I would also be very worried and concerned as a member of the government uh if this was my government that was that was uh being held to this this account. So, I certainly understand the attempt um to stop the information that I'm presenting not only to the committee and to the president, which I know he's well aware of since he stays on top of his file, but also to Canadians. Minister, you and your government in closing have noted that the implementation of the CER is well underway. However, as I've outlined, you've brought forward billions in new spending to Parliament and have just tabled the economic update, which does not provide any details on actual savings in 2026 and 2027 by departments and agencies. When I asked last asked you questions, you said I was confused about your savings plan.

[00:06:22]Minister, I'm not confused about your plan because the plan does not clearly exist. Can you be honest with Canadians today and share your plan, please?

[00:06:33]I apologize, Minister, but we are past the time, but we'll