Jacques Gourde · TranslatePolitics.ca

Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-06-18

“The prime minister caused the problem. He should admit it.”

Oral Questions

National Defence

2026-06-16

“The Conservatives want the government to say what it will do with the MV Asterix.”

Oral Questions

Rail Transportation

2026-06-11

“I want to criticize the government's expensive Alto train project. I think it will end up costing way more than $90 billion and become a huge burden on future generations. I'm asking the Liberal transport minister if he's really ready to keep pouring money into this with no limit.”

Oral Questions

Rail Transportation

2026-06-10

“Why don't you go talk to the farmers yourself? Experts say your train project is irresponsible. It will need lots of subsidies. Liberals want a train that doesn't make sense. That money should be spent on other infrastructure to help farmers. When will you spend money on useful things?”

“You won't listen to farmers about this train! Lots of people came to complain. They don't want their land split in two. The Prime Minister should stop this train project. It's bad!”

Government Orders

Business of Supply

2026-06-08

“I'm just asking this question so I can score political points and make the government look bad in front of my colleague's constituents.”

Oral Questions

Agriculture and Agri-Food

2026-05-28

“You Liberals waste billions on your pet projects. But you won't spend a tiny fraction of that on research centers that help farmers and Canada's food security. Closing these centers to save 23 million is a bad choice. I want you to keep them open. Why do you always let down farmers?”

“I want the government to spend more money on agriculture research centers. The government should not have closed seven research centers, because that reduces our ability to innovate in agriculture. The Minister of Agriculture should reverse his decision.”

Statements by Members

High-Speed Rail

2026-05-26

“I want voters to be afraid of this big expensive project that benefits a few rich people. There is a better project in my area we could spend tax money on instead.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the feedback about Alto's high-speed rail project, which is being promoted by the Liberal Party and relatives of influential ministers, has been very negative. According to Radio-Canada, some 500 farms and 1,200 landowners will be affected in the Montreal-Ottawa corridor alone. Just imagine how many people who will be expropriated over the 1,000-kilometre route. Considering our Canadian winters, this project will almost certainly run into surprises that will affect the final bill and the train's ability to operate. There are not many such trains running in our climate, especially at cruising speeds of 300 kilometres an hour. Governing is about making choices, and making choices without social licence would jeopardize our private, unsubsidized means of transportation in favour of a subsidized means of transportation benefiting a handful of regular travellers. I urge the government to listen to the people of Canada before it is too late to turn back. If it is really looking for a good idea to support, there is always Quebec City's third link.

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Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-05-07

“Families are struggling with high gas prices, expensive rent, and costly groceries. People are desperate for discounted food. I want the Prime Minister to take this seriously and act.”

“I want the government to spend less so Canadians can keep more of their money. Higher costs, taxes, and debt are bad! They make it too hard for families to get by.”

Oral Questions

Finance

2026-05-06

“The government spent too much. It borrowed too much. Our children will pay for it with higher taxes and higher prices. The Prime Minister needs to stop borrowing and spending so much. He is acting like he has a credit card with no limit. This needs to stop so families can afford to live.”

Statements by Members

Marlène Beaudoin

2026-05-06

“That makes me sad.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, in loving memory of my sister-in-law Marlène Beaudoin, an energetic, dedicated woman who loved her family: her husband Yvon, her children Jonathan, Myriam and Catherine, and her six beloved grandchildren. Always ready to protect us so that we would want for nothing, Marlène leaves us with indelible memories of her devotion to her loved ones. She was the centre of attention in our family. Her infectious laughter reminds us of the importance of family gatherings at her home and at the family cottage. She loved us dearly, and we loved her just as much. Her resilience over the past decade proved to us what an exceptional woman she was. We miss her already. May she rest in peace with the love of her entire family.

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Private Members' Business

Spectrum Policy Framework for Canada Act

2026-05-05

“I found a specific place with bad cell service. I want the government to fix it. Will your bill help those people?”

Government Orders

Business of Supply

2026-05-05

“Businesses are suffering. The tariff is driving them to lower prices or close down. The government's loan program doesn't help. Businesses still have to pay back those loans while making less money. I want the member to admit the program isn't enough and could make businesses close faster.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. It is apparent that he was a teacher before becoming an MP. Going back to the $1.5-billion program, we are talking about loans that must be repaid over three years. However, companies are losing money due to U.S. tariffs. With these 25% tariffs, they are forced to lower their prices to remain competitive, or they will be forced out of the market. If businesses decide not to take advantage of this program, could it speed up the closure of small and medium-sized businesses in Canada, given that it is not the government that is experiencing the tariff problem, but businesses, because they have to pay back or postpone the losses they are currently experiencing?

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Government Orders

Government Business No. 9—Changes to the Standing Orders

2026-04-27

“I am very angry that you are changing the rules. I think you are destroying democracy.”

“I repeat: Conservative would never abuse power like the government is. The government is breaking democracy. People will become cynical and stop voting because of this. I saw a message from a young man who said he may never vote again because of what the government did. This is very bad.”

“I don't like that the government changed from a minority to a majority. Canadians didn't vote for this! This will make Canadians distrust politics.”

“Canadians voted for a minority government. They want us to keep the government on a short leash. This motion stops that. This motion gives the government too much power. Canadians didn't vote for that.”

“I don't like this motion. It gives the government too much power. Committee work won't represent Canadians anymore. It will just push the Liberal view. People in my riding are feeling cynical about our democracy. The government should respect how Canadians voted. But the Liberals just want to push their agenda without working with others. It's shameful. I promise that Conservatives will keep fighting for Canadians.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Calgary Midnapore. I am pleased to take part in today's debate in the House on Government Motion No. 9. However, I am very unhappy with what this motion will do, particularly as the result will fundamentally redefine the work of MPs for the remainder of this Parliament. The parliamentary committee work that MPs do is very important for our democracy and must reflect the wishes and choices expressed by voters in the last election. That being said, Canadians chose a minority Liberal government, and therefore a government under close scrutiny. Canadians' wisdom should be reflected in a committee composition and a distribution of seats in accordance with the will of the people. Committee work requires a certain degree of collegiality and mutual respect. Motion No. 9 would bring back a great deal of partisanship. It would give absolute power to the government and, by so doing, would undermine non-partisan work in the service of Canadians. I would like to highlight the work of the clerks and analysts and the technical support provided by all the staff involved in the work of parliamentary committees. Drafting reports, hearing from witnesses and engaging in parliamentary work are the bulwark of democracy. They honour Canadians and make Canada a better country. However, when a majority decides to impose a unilateral vision without any compromise, this work comes to reflect a single party's ideology and becomes a pale imitation of what it once was. For us conscientious MPs, the most important part of parliamentary work is helping Canadians so that our government services evolve over time and are always being improved. I have been around for several Parliaments, with both majority and minority governments. When drafting their reports, it has always been important for committees to ensure that Canadians' views are heard and considered. That is how committees come up with fair and transparent recommendations that will help us in this monumental task of ensuring our country's prosperity. I am deeply concerned about what will happen in the months following the adoption of Motion No. 9, particularly with regard to how committees will operate going forward. Members who serve in committee derive their motivation from knowing that they have done their job well. However, in the coming years, we are going to find ourselves in a situation where committee reports will not be representative and will become meaningless because of the problems caused by the numerical superiority. This important work, which currently reflects MPs' opinions and talents and the views of Canadians, will be interpreted through a Liberal lens and will thus lose its substance and fail to reflect Canadians' reality. That is not to mention all the parliamentary committee resources that will be wasted. The expertise of Canadians from across the country will be disregarded to protect the Liberal government's ideology. I have received many testimonials from people who are genuinely concerned about the government's drift away from democracy. Just yesterday, a 21-year-old young worker in my riding told me, “It makes no sense. Basically, what is the point of my vote if, afterwards, everyone changes their mind and does exactly the opposite of what they said? I have no say? Is voting even worth it at this point? That tells me that my vote does not matter and that politics is extremely biased. I no longer see the purpose of voting.” I can say that millions of Canadians are feeling the same way and this is fuelling cynicism about our democracy and our institutions. Today, I ask Canadians what they think. Do they believe their vote counts? Do they believe that Canada is best served when the makeup of our institutions reflects the outcome of our elections? The Liberal's Motion No. 9 will only fuel this cynicism and cause great harm to our country in the short, medium and long term. I urge the government to reconsider before it is too late and not to proceed with this motion. This whole situation is all the more concerning given that, this week, the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics released a report recommending that the Prime Minister divest his investments and shares in Brookfield, a firm that manages nearly $1 trillion in assets. His close ties to that company, where he served as vice chair for two and a half years before entering the race for the Liberal leadership, place the Prime Minister in a multitude of potential conflicts of interest. This is an unprecedented situation, but that is the reality. Thanks to some tremendous work, the committee has formulated 20 recommendations for resolving this ongoing conflict of interest. Unfortunately, this is the kind of study that will no longer be possible with the restructuring of the committees. These kinds of studies will now be nipped in the bud by the government before witnesses can be heard. That is why the amendment proposed by my colleague, the member for Barrie South—Innisfil, aimed at exempting the ethics, public accounts, and government operations committees, is so important. Allowing opposition parties to do their job on these committees and hold the government to account is the bare minimum. These committees exist to ensure government transparency and to prevent corruption. The ideal remains that this government respect the will of Canadians as expressed in the general election of April 28, 2025, less than a year ago, and that the committees continue to reflect that democratic will. I can already hear the Liberals responding with their polls and other nonsense. I can say that, in Canada, there is only one poll that counts and that is an election. It is the only way to guarantee with certainty the will of Canadians. It is not a sample of 1,000 respondents to a poll that will give this Liberal government the right to override democracy. I do not know if that is a word that the Prime Minister likes, as he seems to think our parliamentary institutions are fairly burdensome, or rather a necessary evil. That may be why he prefers to travel all over the world, everywhere but Canada. However, the Prime Minister must remember that, for our democracy to work, we must nurture it. We must take personal initiative and exchange ideas. Motion No. 9 destroys that trust in the ability of parliamentarians to do meaningful work for their communities. If this motion passes, it means that the Liberals have no intention of working collaboratively with their colleagues. It means that they want to impose their agenda without working collaboratively with the opposition parties. Even though the Leader of the Opposition has reached out to the Prime Minister to work collaboratively on the issue of U.S. tariffs, the Liberals have no intention of working collaboratively. Lastly, it means that the Liberals reward backroom dealings and secret agreements over the normal, transparent process of Parliament and committees, which reflects the will of Canadians. In any case, I find this situation absolutely shameful, and I hope Canadians will remember it when the next election rolls around. Regardless of which way the vote on this motion goes, I ask Canadians not to lose heart. I ask them to continue to believe that change is possible, that there are still some honest politicians and that Liberal arrogance does not define the current state of our country. I solemnly pledge, as do all other Conservative MPs, to continue to fight every day, in every way possible, to represent our constituents by fulfilling the mandate entrusted to us; to fight to give Canadian workers their purchasing power back; to rebuild the strongest middle class in the world, which we had under the Harper government; to bring safety and order back to our streets; to restore a government that respects farmers, their land and their trade, because they feed us all; to restore entrepreneurs' belief that it is worthwhile to invest in Canada and to encourage innovation without being overtaxed on the wealth they create; and to restore the dream of home ownership for young people. We will fight this fight every day.

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