Jacques Gourde

Mr. Speaker, Canada's immigration system is a mess. Fake refugees and criminals are slipping through the cracks and receiving preferential treatment from the Liberal government. Asylum claims should not be a shortcut to immigration. The Liberals must ensure that abuse is detected quickly and that the resources allocated to immigration serve Canadians appropriately. What is the Liberal government going to do to prevent criminals from immigrating to Canada and crowding out the skilled workers we actually need?

Mr. Speaker, really, this Prime Minister is nothing but an illusion. A banker is supposed to be good with numbers, yet here is the Prime Minister's track record: every family will be spending an extra $1,000 on groceries in 2026, business capital investment has fallen for five consecutive quarters, and Canada has the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7. This record makes us the only G20 country in recession. The Prime Minister is not being accountable to Canadians. Will he take responsibility for his recession?

Mr. Speaker, delays in the delivery of support ships for the Canadian Navy have been growing longer for years. Meanwhile, the Liberals are threatening to end the lease agreement for the MV Asterix, which is in perfect condition. Does the Liberal government intend to renew the lease or purchase the MV Asterix?

Mr. Speaker, the Alto train is not a gift. It places a perpetual burden on the backs of future generations. Yesterday, the Minister of Transport opened the door to the possibility of cost overruns, so the minister is prepared for it to cost far more than $90 billion and far exceed its budget. Is the Liberal transport minister prepared to pour money down a bottomless pit?

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of people gathered on Parliament Hill today to make their voices heard about the Alto train, which is threatening the survival of our communities. These people included many farmers facing the prospect of not being able to cross their land because of the Liberal government's threat to split it in two. I have not met a single farmer who wants a high‑speed train cutting across their land. Will the Prime Minister listen to the farmers and stop work on this project, which is totally off track?

Mr. Speaker, if the minister believes that this project is sound, he should go and meet with farmers himself to explain the expropriations. Experts are unanimous: This ideologically motivated project is completely irresponsible when it comes to our public finances. There is no evidence that it will be cost-effective. The Liberals want to leave us with a white elephant that runs purely on subsidies. With $90 million, we could refurbish nearly all of our infrastructure in Canada and become a global agricultural powerhouse. When are the Liberals going to invest in projects that will actually create wealth in Canada?

Madam Speaker, I would like to give my esteemed colleague the opportunity to tell me how people in Mirabel are feeling. The government told them that a high-speed rail project is going to cut right through their farmland. It did not offer much in the way of explanation. A lot of questions were asked, but not a lot of answers have been given. I am sure that my colleague has a lot to say about that.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to investing in agriculture, the Liberal government turns a blind eye. When it comes to investing in research centres dedicated to agriculture, not only does it turn a blind eye, but it turns away entirely. The future of Canadian agriculture is now preparing for the next generation. The closure of seven research centres in Canada reduces our ability to innovate and prepare for the future of agriculture. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food needs to show leadership. Will he reverse his decision before it is too late?

Mr. Speaker, agriculture is just a drop in the bucket for the Liberals, who are spending $6.6 billion on the Cúram program, $19 billion on consultants, and $100 billion on a high-speed train that will ruin entire farming communities in Quebec and Ontario. Saving $23 million a year by closing seven research centres in Canada is completely unacceptable. This decision is a direct attack on our country's food security. It is not too late to fix this mistake. Why do the Liberals historically always let Canada's agricultural communities down?

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.

Mr. Speaker, it is always the same story with the Prime Minister's costly illusion: everything is more expensive. It is higher costs, higher taxes, more debt, and the national credit card is maxed out. It costs the average Canadian family $4,000 net per month just for the right to breathe under Liberal rule. What used to be a decent wage is now barely enough to survive on. How can people make ends meet with the Prime Minister's costly illusion?

Mr. Speaker, that answer is not worth much. What is worth a lot is gas at $2 a litre, a two-bedroom apartment at $2,000 a month, on top of an annual bill of $17,000 for a family of four's weekly grocery run. We saw just how distressed Canadians are when a new liquidation store opened in Granby this morning. The police had to direct traffic because a queue of people had turned up as early as 5 a.m. to buy discounted food. The situation is desperate. The credit card is maxed out. When will the Liberal Prime Minister take the situation seriously?

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.

Mr. Speaker, the national credit card is more maxed out than ever, leaving a $1-trillion bill behind for our kids and grandkids. That is $1 trillion more in 10 years being piled on the backs of future generations. Today, families are paying the price for the Liberals' structural deficits through higher taxes, higher inflation, even higher interest costs and higher prices across the board. When is this Liberal Prime Minister going to end credit card budgets so that Canadian families can make ends meet?

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?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for introducing this bill, which could have far-reaching effects and help a lot of Canadians. Black holes exist in my riding, too. In particular, in one section of the Saint-Nicolas sector of Lévis, right in the city at the head of the bridges on the way to Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly, cell service suddenly disappears. These people are asking us to do everything in our power to restore their service. Will this bill help the people in my riding, especially in Saint-Nicolas?

Mr. Speaker, according to an in-depth feature in Le Journal de Montréal, the Liberal government is letting seniors fall through the cracks. With all the spending on credit in the budget, food inflation is rising much faster than old age security benefits. As a result, seniors are being forced to work at age 68 to pay their mortgage. While seniors are struggling to make ends meet, the Prime Minister seems more interested in showing off his resumé around the world. When will the Prime Minister decide to get to work on helping Canadian seniors make ends meet?

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.

Mr. Speaker, on April 28, 2025, Canadians voted for a minority Liberal government. That is what Canadians wanted. In their wisdom, Canadian wanted to keep this government under close supervision and hold it accountable. Unfortunately, the government is now using Motion No. 9 to stop Canadians from getting what they want.

Mr. Speaker, this is a scandal in itself, but what saddens me most is that the Liberals, through their actions, are building a case for political cynicism in Canada. Let me remind everyone: Canadians elected a Liberal minority government. We now have a Liberal majority government, not because Canadians chose it, but because of defections.