Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

Leslie Church

Liberal on Labour 2026-04-24

76 words · 2 sentences · 2 clauses

Replying to Christine Normandin (Bloc Québécois)

“Mr. Speaker, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is not Montreal, yet the federal government treats it as if it were Montreal when applying temporary foreign worker program rules. As a result, because the unemployment rate is high in Montreal, we are not allowed to hire or retain workers in Saint-Jean, even though our unemployment rate is low. Everyone has spoken out against this policy: the city, members of the Quebec National Assembly, the chamber of commerce, businesses and so on. I myself have contacted three ministers, including the Quebec lieutenant. Since Saint-Jean is not Montreal, will the government treat Saint-Jean separately instead of harming businesses?”

Statement grade

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Not graded

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Claims 42%Promise 58%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 32 wordsI would just like to make sure the member opposite knows that our temporary foreign worker program use is down 50% in 2025 and makes up less than 1% of our workforce.¹² Promise · 44 wordsIn terms of ensuring that our EI program tackles the needs of all communities across the country, that is something that our government remains committed to, especially at a time when our EI program is so essential to Canadian workers right across the country.Off pointVague promise

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 100

0 of 3 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Nothing lost points.

Relevance · 0

2 of 3 deductions are Relevance

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue. Measured against the question asked.

Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “I would just like to make sure the member opposite knows that our temporary foreign worker program use is down 50% in 2025 and makes up less than 1% of our workforce.”It substitutes program-wide usage statistics for the question of how the rules are applied to Saint-Jean specifically.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “In terms of ensuring that our EI program tackles the needs of all communities across the country, that is something that our government remains committed to, especially at a time when our EI program is so essential to Canadian workers right across the country.”It pivots to the EI program’s general merits, which was not what was asked about.

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 38

1 of 3 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “remains committed to”A commitment with no named actor, date, measure, or success condition for changing how EI treats communities.

Claims · 2

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“temporary foreign worker program use is down 50% in 2025”Use of Canada’s temporary foreign worker program declined by 50% in 2025.search
2“makes up less than 1% of our workforce”Temporary foreign workers make up less than 1% of Canada’s workforce.search

Analysed on 2026-09-15