SoVote

Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ)

Feb/8/24 5:34:09 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, as my colleague mentioned, Bill S‑202 has to do with the appointment of the parliamentary visual artist. As I said earlier, I am a stage and film actor, as well as a fan of literature. I therefore agree that art should have a bigger place in our lives, even in Parliament. I could not agree with that more. Today, I decided to treat myself because someone has expressed much better than I could the importance of literature and art in our lives. I am talking about David Goudreault, a slam performer and poet from Quebec. He has written a lot and has even won some awards. He was awarded the World Cup of Slam Poetry in Paris in 2011. Since then, he has been writing novels and continues to slam and do shows. We also see him on television, where he works as a commentator. His words are striking, touching, penetrating and impactful. He has a much better way with words than I do, and he wrote about how we should leave more room for art, poetry and literature in our lives. That is why, today, I decided to treat myself and read one of David Goudreault's poems. I hope he will forgive me—

211 words

Context: House Hansard - 278 - Feb/8/24

Mr. Denis Trudel

Feb/8/24 5:35:53 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I am going to talk about something very serious, that is, poetry. I would like my colleagues to listen. It is not that often that we talk about poetry in the House. I am not sure we ever have. It is important that members listen. I apologize in advance, because David Goudreault is also an extraordinary performer. When he reads his own poetry, when he speaks his own words, it is utterly amazing and fascinating. I encourage my colleagues to go see one of his shows. Still, I will read this piece, because it is worth it.I call for poetryA deep breath held in, underworld apneaFor all the teachers that won't skip a chapterHands sunk and guts poured into the subject matterA light that can express itself freelyIn free verse, spoken work, sonnets or haikus“O Captain! My Captain!”Loot the coffers and bring us poemsEnough to fill every schoolStarting in first grade: Jean Narrache for today's dictationFootball players forced to read Marie UguayHeads of the class can tackle VanierBetween math class and phys-edLet's give them credits for each moment of quietWhere speech can grow, all crooked and aliveI call for poetryIn back alleys and on farm roadsLet's have every streetworker pacing the voidWhisper Roland Giguère in misery's earLet's have poets in residenceIn every residence for senior citizensLet's pair every illiterate with a poetAnd pay them to reconquer the wordsThey can paint huge signs in front of psych wards, “Amazing specials inside!”In front of l'Assemblée nationale, “Don't feed the wild ideals”On library stone walls, “Welcome to the Art Therapy Community Centre”I call for poetryLet's have every SAQ cashier recite “La romance du vin”With every purchase of over 20 bucksLet's replace the Hockey Night theme with a poem by PozierLet's ask Anonymous to do their thingSo only works by Josée Yvon can be bought on AmazonLet's canonize Yves BoisvertLet's give Hélène Dorion a Nobel PrizeLet's have lines by Francoeur on rolling paperBeausoleil on boarding passesDesbiens on Trans Canada bus tickets Daoust on tinted glasses that cover the eyesAnd the yous and the theysI call for poetryFrom Miron's country, yet to be chosen and inventedTo the occupied lands of the last First NationsThere's more than Ani Couni, you knowWhy not teach Joséphine BaconJean Sioui and Rita MestokoshoLet their voices be heard, YawindaFrom Mohawk lands to Ivujivik, NakurmikI call for poetryIn Chloé Sainte‑Marie's mouth-shaped heartGo ahead and give her a doctorate honoris causaSo she can pawn it for a tiny fraction of her selflessness' worthAnd by the way, Montreal City, where the fuck is your Leonard Cohen Street?

478 words

Context: House Hansard - 278 - Feb/8/24

Mr. Denis Trudel

Feb/8/24 5:41:13 p.m.
Watch

Duly noted, Madam Speaker. What about your Hélène Monette Boulevard?My GPS is no use; recognition for poets, it would seemIs harder to find than organic and fair trade cocaineI call for poetryFrom Speak White to Speak WhatFrom Michèle Lalonde to Marco MiconeBy those who blaze the trailsAnd those who draw tears from the pageBy Rodney Saint-Éloi and all our diasporasBy Herménégilde Chiasson, Georgette LeblancAnd all of Acadia straight in the eyeLet the path of poetry stretch outFrom St-Venant-de-Paquette to WendakeLet an artist from Trois-Rivières climb Duplessis's statueTo sculpt Godin's face up thereI call for poetryIn songs, on pages, in rap barsBy Gilbert Langevin, Nicole Brossard, Sol or Manu MilitariIn its noblest forms or proudly bastardizedBy our inspired successorsApathy will never recoverBy its peaks and rootsIts iridescent brothers and incandescent sistersIts promises that we will hold highWith arms open wideI call for poetryI call for poetryHoping that you will answer I have a minute and a half left, but I do not know what I could possibly add to David Goudreault's words, what he just said, what I just read. What a magnificent poem. Not many members in the House are artists, which is too bad. We have a lot of doctors and a lot of lawyers. We have engineers. That is fine, but it seems to me that art would help us in our debates. It would help our debates if there were more room for art, music and visual arts. There is also cinema, of course. I could also talk about the precariousness of artists' situations. That is another debate. It is important, but we do not talk about it very much. In Quebec, 80% of artists earn less than $20,000 a year. That is the poverty line. These are the people we see on our phones, watch on television and hear on the radio. They live in precarious situations, and yet they are the spice of life in this country. They are what makes life worth living. In fact, for people who spend most of their lives on their devices, we see images, we see photos and we see videos. There are people who create them. There are people who come up with all that. There are ordinary people, and then there are artists. These people need to be paid properly, like everyone else. They have to be able to earn a living, because we need them. We need them more than ever in these difficult times.

432 words