Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by congratulating you on having succeeded in restoring some peace in the House. The government members opposite are calmer than they were during question period.

It is a privilege for me to rise once again to discuss the Liberal green fund scandal. It is another opportunity to shed light on the devastation felt by thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to coast for having been sold the Liberal idea of a responsible, democratic and free country.

I have been the member of Parliament for Lévis—Lotbinière since 2006, so for nearly 19 years. During the 19 years of trust placed in me by my constituents, I have been fortunate to witness the birth and growth of an entire generation. That is significant. I am moved and very honoured by that. Many are related to me, some were my children's playmates, still others have heard about me from their parents, at school or even on television. I have taken part in many activities that have given me the opportunity to get to know these fine young people, from skating and hockey to the choir and the theatre, from school graduations to our traditional Canada Day celebration at the Saint-Agapit agricultural fair.

We are proud of these young people and all the people in my riding, and we are proud to share the values we hold in common and a vision for our society where everyone knows they can trust their parents and their community without worrying about whether the people governing our country are trustworthy, honest and just. Unfortunately, that is not the way things are today. The Liberals' latest green fund scam is once again upsetting the balance we had before the Liberal government was elected in 2015.

They say we do not miss what we do not know, but losing something good can sometimes be devastating, and our whole society is now paying a heavy price. Debt is at an all-time high, and crime is rampant everywhere. Young people are born at a disadvantage to parents who do not have the resources to raise them, or to families grappling with addictions that set them on the path to poverty or even violence. Why has it come to this? I will explain in the rest of my speech.

It is because of the Liberal promises about legalizing marijuana and decriminalizing hard drugs. It was a fantasy to think that allowing this to happen would lead to better control. The outcome is that we have reached the end of the road and nothing better lies ahead if we continue down this path. Throughout this Liberal reign, I have held on to my Conservative values, and I have not stayed silent in the House, even at the risk of appearing old-fashioned or over the top. I have stayed true to my values and beliefs.

I keep speaking out at every opportunity, with each new scandal, like the green fund scandal before us today. I have never lost hope that each small seed would eventually bear fruit and lead us back to a better understanding of what our government should be. Despite the many opportunities we have given to the Liberals, who are backed by the NDP and the Bloc Québécois, we have never given up on the goal of bringing back common sense to this government and to this Parliament.

On November 12, TVA Nouvelles reported on a recent Leger poll showing that more and more young people are turning to us Conservatives. It is clear to me that young people are coming back to us because they are tired of living in a world with no rules or guidelines, where they see their childhood friends and loved ones sinking into the hell of drugs and addiction. They are tired of seeing people who were once full of life and full of hope now struggling to hold down a job and keep a roof over their heads.

When we look at where we now rank in the G7, it would be an understatement to say that the Liberals' policies have left us in a very sad situation.

Returning to the poll, it clearly shows that family values, a strong work ethic, wealth building and pride in being able to put food on the table and create community solidarity are making a comeback. People want to go back to acting in accordance with their core morals, their true nature, without deceiving anyone, especially the most vulnerable.

I believe that young people clearly understand that their future is at risk and that making the right decisions as quickly as possible is essential. Separating from Canada is not what young people in Quebec dream about or need. That is why the Bloc Québécois is lagging so far behind in young people's voting intentions in Quebec. Young people are not looking for another empty dream. They want to feel united with other people and pull together in the same direction, to keep what gains they have and create a prosperous future, like we once had, before 2015.

We have strong young people in Canada with visions and values that show their hearts are in the right place. They see their parents worrying about the fact that they work day in and day out but never get ahead. Parents are stunned when they hear about all the crooked stuff that the Liberals have been involved in and have yet to be punished for. In fact, many constituents of all ages come up to me in my riding to say that they are completely baffled that the Bloc Québécois and the NDP are supporting measures that make no earthly sense. People can see that they are using blackmail to buy time just so they can keep warming their seats until October 2025. Because of the support of the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, it is costing us a lot of money to keep this three-legged government going. It has been limping along for far too long.

I am very happy that young people have learned from the Prime Minister and this shady Liberal government. They have learned what not to do. We are learning the hard way, even more drastically, that thugs are not nice, whether they wear ties and ride around in limousines or supply drugs and roam our alleys with illegal weapons. How did we get here?

Unfortunately, I think that many people fell for the Prime Minister's charm. The Liberals' political tactics are as old as the hills and well known to all. They offer free membership, but then make members pay dearly to attend cocktail parties and fancy dinners that provide access to certain well-placed individuals in order to obtain favours. Then the best members are appointed to key positions and bingo, that is how we end up with all those fine people defending each other, protecting each other, giving each other contracts, and getting their vacations paid for, all by reaching into Canadians' pockets without the slightest scruple or remorse.

I am already looking forward to answering my colleagues' questions at the end of my speech. Some will be blue with anger, others will be red with embarrassment, and maybe some will even be pale green over this whole green fund business.

I would love to keep going, but since I have only a few seconds left, I will gladly continue my speech tomorrow morning, in the first hour, as soon as the House opens.

Jacques Gourde

$541,375.00