Tom Kmiec,  Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the Whole

Mr. Tom Kmiec is the Member of Parliament for Calgary Shepard, first elected in 2015, and currently serving his fourth term in the House of Commons. He was named Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons in the 45th Parliament by unanimous consent of all MPs, a non-partisan role that supports the Speaker in presiding over House proceedings and maintaining order and decorum during debates. Mr. Kmiec is the fifth Member of Parliament from Alberta to serve as a chair occupant in the House of Commons.

Born in Poland, Mr. Kmiec immigrated to Canada in the mid-1980s. Before entering elected office, he held roles with cabinet ministers at both the federal and provincial levels, served as a policy manager with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, and the past registrar for the human resources profession in the province of Alberta.

Within Parliament, Mr. Kmiec has served in several senior positions, including as Chair of the national caucus of the Official Opposition, Shadow Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Shadow Minister for Democratic Reform, Deputy House Leader of the Official Opposition, and Co-Chair of Question Period Planning. He has also served on the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, and Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

He has advanced legislation to improve access to the disability tax credit and secured bereavement leave for grieving parents through an amendment adopted in 2021. Mr. Kmiec is a father of four. In 2018, he lost his youngest daughter, Lucy-Rose, to Patau Syndrome, a rare genetic condition. Her brief life continues to guide his advocacy for Canadians affected by rare diseases.