John Brassard
- Born
- May 11, 1964
- Career
- Former firefighter
- Political Experience
- City councillor for the Barrie City Council; Elected to House of Commons in 2015; Deputy Whip of the Official Opposition in the 42nd and 43rd Commons; Opposition House Leader (2022); Chair of the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 45th Canadian Parliament
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before entering federal politics, John Brassard was a firefighter with the City of Barrie for over 20 years. He also served as a city councillor for the City of Barrie from 2006 until his election as a Member of Parliament in 2015. His public disclosures primarily relate to his salary and pension as an MP.
Public Controversies
In February 2022, during the 'Freedom Convoy' protests in Ottawa, Brassard was reportedly among a group of Conservative MPs who were photographed with a supporter near a flag that had a swastika drawn on it. Following public criticism, Brassard and the other MPs issued statements condemning the symbol and stated they were unaware of it when the photo was taken. Brassard also faced criticism for reading an email from a constituent in the House of Commons that reportedly contained misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. He defended his actions by stating he was representing the views of a person in his riding.
Where John falls on key policy spectrums
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How does John Brassard's voting record line up with your values?
Prime Minister Mr. Speaker, thechose his words very carefully yesterday when asked whether he had discussed the $2.3 billion given to his long-time friend and fundraiser Dan Goldberg, CEO of Telesat. He said that he was not involved in the decision. That was not the question. Prime Minister Section 9 of Canada's Conflict of Interest Act prohibits public office holders from using their position
Prime Minister finance minister Yes, Mr. Speaker. On this point of order, related to the same standing order, I know you were in the chair yesterday when this happened. I was in the House. Theand thewalked in, waving the budget around like we were in some sort of Roman Colosseum. Maybe sometimes it seems that way, but I will say that I believe, Mr. Speaker, if you look back at the tapes, you will
Mr. Speaker, that is the exact same response the Liberals gave as the SNC-Lavalin and WE scandals were unfolding. It is what they said on the green slush fund scandal and Trudeau's trip to billionaire island. In every case, after they repeated it, the truth came out. Prime Minister Let us hear it one more time. Who wants to hear it one more time? Did thehave any discussion about Telesat with any
Prime Minister Mr. Speaker, Telesat was not legally bankrupt, but it was facing severe financial distress, insolvency warnings and an immediate risk of defaulting on its massive debt obligations. The's buddy Dan Goldberg, the CEO of Telesat, received 2.3 billion Canadian tax dollars just as $1.71 billion U.S., or roughly $2.3 billion Canadian, in debt was coming due on December 6. Is it a
Mr. Speaker, I have two questions. Prime Minister Can theexplain why hard-working, taxpaying Canadian families, seniors and single-income moms gave $2.3 billion to his CEO friend and Liberal Party fundraiser at Telesat with a big government contract just as a nearly identical amount of debt was approaching maturity? Prime Minister I would also love to have theanswer this one. Can he also
Mr. Speaker, we have yet another stunning example of public policy decisions benefiting well-connected Liberal insiders. Prime Minister Dominic Barton, the chair of Invest in Canada, and Patrick Pichette, the head of digital transformation Canada, were early investors in Cohere AI through Radical Ventures and Inovia Capital, respectively. Both have long-standing ties to theand were recently
Mr. Speaker, this is not about Cohere. Canadians have seen this self-dealing Barton Liberal playbook before with McKinsey. They shape public policy and then benefit from the results. Prime Minister Patrick Pichette and Jordan Jacobs were both appointed to the's AI council, and both sit on the board of Cohere. Jacobs co-founded Radical Ventures, where Barton is a partner. Together, they backed
C-34 Madam Speaker, I think I made it very clear, in the 10 minutes I had, how important it is to protect our children. We also have to make sure that we are not doing that at a cost to civil liberties and rights, especially for law-abiding people, to express themselves online. We have to find that balance. Billhas a lot more work to do. It will go to committee. We will hear from experts. We will
Madam Speaker, that is the fine balance we have to find. It is about protecting children, which we all want, and then protecting law-abiding people who are expressing their views from a knock on the door by the police telling them they have expressed themselves too much—
C-34 Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak to Billtoday, a bill that was first introduced back in June. Here we are, almost at the beginning of November, and we are dealing with what I believe to be a consequential piece of legislation that does not come without some concern. It will be good when this bill goes to committee, so that stakeholders, advocates of online safety and those who
Mr. Speaker, there is no question that as legislators, we should be doing everything we need to do to protect children. I do not think anybody in the House would disagree with that. There are concerns, however, which I have been hearing from my constituents and people right across the country, that under section 2(b) of the charter, the potential exists for an infringement of rights and freedoms.
Madam Speaker, I agree with the hon. member. There are many aspects of the bill that concern me, such as the point the hon. member raised. That is why it is very important that, when the bill goes to committee, we have a thorough discussion on everything it contains. Protecting children is very important, but protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals in Canada is what worries me and many