Analysis · Speech on a bill · beta

Yves Perron

Bloc Québécois on Strong and Free Elections Act 2026-04-24

1049 words · 62 sentences · 78 clauses

Statement grade

A–

Average 87 / 100

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

Anecdote 9%Procedure 6%Claims 47%Reasoning 24%The ask 8%Aside 3%Positioning 1%Promise 2%

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

Mr. Speaker, Anecdote · 12 wordsI have a mild case of attention deficit. Nearby noises bother me.Anecdote Procedure · 35 wordsI will pick up where I left off. I was outlining the serious doubts that we raised over the prospect of preventing constituents from signing more than one nomination paper. This is an important issue.Procedure Claims · 32 wordsSigning a nomination paper does not oblige constituents to vote for the candidate in question. They are free to watch the election campaign unfold and possibly change their mind along the way. Reasoning · 69 wordsOtherwise, what purpose would election campaigns serve? If we tell constituents that they cannot sign more than one nomination paper, it amounts to telling them that they have to make their choice at the start of the campaign, which would make election campaigns rather pointless. People would be unable to sign a nomination paper for the person they want to vote for because someone else got to them first. Procedure · 6 wordsThe problem with that is obvious.Procedure Claims · 17 wordsThe other problem is that the vote will be made public. Most people are comfortable with that. Anecdote · 22 wordsI think most people here could guess who I voted for in the last election and in every election of my life.Anecdote Claims · 27 wordsHowever, some people do not want to reveal who they voted for, and that is fine, because it is all voters’ prerogative to keep their vote secret. Reasoning · 22 wordsIf a person can sign only one nomination paper, they might as well announce publicly which candidate they will be voting for. Procedure · 7 wordsWe understand how complex this issue is.Procedure Anecdote · 28 wordsI myself have gladly signed the nomination papers of certain opponents, because it is important to have an election campaign with diverse candidates and to foster democratic debate.Anecdote Claims · 31 wordsWe believe this provision should be removed from the bill. We believe the other measures will be enough to control the very high number of candidates seen in the last election.Unearned certainty Anecdote · 31 wordsI just said that I have signed ballots for certain political opponents, but I will never sign ballots for 48 candidates who are simply there to bog down the electoral system.Anecdote Claims · 17 wordsThere are different ways to express disagreement. Fundamentally, I agree with the cause these people are defending. Reasoning · 9 wordsHowever, I think they are taking the wrong approach. Claims · 121 wordsThey are disrupting the entire electoral system. Through their actions, they are discouraging citizens from exercising their right to vote. In large federal ridings, a list can sometimes include as many as 72 candidates, ¹and voters often have to search through them. Take Berthier—Maskinongé, for example, with its 108,000 voters and 37 municipalities.² As qualified and important as I believe myself to be, I am well aware that many people in my riding vote primarily for the party. They need to be able to find that choice on the ballot. We therefore agree that this needs to be addressed. Compromises were found during the recent by-elections, particularly in Terrebonne, where candidates affiliated with recognized parties were placed on the first page.³ Reasoning · 31 wordsHowever, requiring voters to write down the name of the candidate increases the degree of difficulty, the duration of the vote, the risk of error and the risk of a challenge. Claims · 12 wordsThere was no recount this time because there was a clear majority, Reasoning · 60 wordsbut in the event of a judicial recount, it is easy to imagine how that could be challenged by lawyers for the other party that is seeking to overturn a vote, particularly if a candidate has a hyphenated last name and the voter only wrote part of the name. This can cause major problems and delays that must be avoided. Claims · 13 wordsThat said, we agree with most of the measures proposed in the bill. The ask · 15 wordsI hope the government will reconsider preventing people from signing more than one nomination paper, Procedure · 9 wordsbut there is something else we take issue with: ProcedureThe ask · 13 wordsWhy not take this opportunity to review the issue of political party financing? Claims · 8 wordsI will again use Quebec as an example. Aside · 9 wordsI know I am always going on about this, AsidePositioning · 13 wordsbut this is another fine example of how Quebec is ahead of Canada.Positioning Claims · 94 wordsQuebec reformed its electoral law several years ago. Public funding is allocated based on the number of votes obtained, ⁴and donors are limited to a donation of $100 per year and $200 in an election year.⁵ That limits influence. Let us not forget that, under the previous prime minister’s government, Chinese-Canadian businessmen planning to open a bank in Canada attended receptions to gain access to the Prime Minister and donated over $1,700.⁶ That is a lot of money. There are not many ordinary citizens who can afford to donate $1,700 to a political party. The ask · 7 wordsIt is time we sorted this out.Vague promise Reasoning · 29 wordsThese amounts and this way of doing things open the door to the possibility of electoral manipulation. It is never a good thing when money buys access to ministers, The ask · 7 wordsso we need to democratize the system.Vague promise Reasoning · 14 wordsPublic funding of political parties could also prevent some parties from engaging in populism. Aside · 17 wordsThe parliamentary secretary seems to be listening carefully to my remarks and I am pleased about that.Aside Claims · 41 wordsI am sure that he will appreciate what I am saying about some of the more populist parties that post the same slogans or videos repeating the same lines on their social media to try to raise a lot of money. Promise · 22 wordsWe could perhaps mitigate that by allocating a portion of public funding to the parties. That is something we could work on.Vague promise The ask · 29 wordsOf course, I hope the government will work collaboratively and that the talk we are hearing will be followed by more practical measures than the ones in yesterday’s motion.Off pointVague promise Procedure · 5 wordsI mentioned this briefly earlier, ProcedureClaims · 38 wordsbut it is also important that we have access to the names and addresses of people who make donations to political parties. Part of the bill raises doubts in that regard, and we have serious concerns about that. Reasoning · 16 wordsOf course, if we allow anonymous donations, it would only further encourage fraud, manipulation and corruption. Claims · 40 wordsWe want to avoid that. We also want to avoid foreign interference and the use of AI to send messages. We saw how a lot of messages were sent out to voters to direct them to the wrong polling stations.⁷ The ask · 13 wordsThat is very serious and I hope that significant penalties will be imposed. Aside · 8 wordsI look forward to questions from my colleagues.Aside

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 76

18 of 24 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.

A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “I have a mild case of attention deficit.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “Nearby noises bother me.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I will pick up where I left off.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I was outlining the serious doubts that we raised over the prospect of preventing constituents from signing more than one nomination paper.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “This is an important issue.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “The problem with that is obvious.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “I think most people here could guess who I voted for in the last election and in every election of my life.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “We understand how complex this issue is.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “I myself have gladly signed the nomination papers of certain opponents,”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “because it is important to have an election campaign with diverse candidates and to foster democratic debate.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “I just said that I have signed ballots for certain political opponents,”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
A story that illustrates instead of making a point.What the tags mean “but I will never sign ballots for 48 candidates who are simply there to bog down the electoral system.”An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “but there is something else we take issue with:”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “I know I am always going on about this,”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “but this is another fine example of how Quebec is ahead of Canada.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “The parliamentary secretary seems to be listening carefully to my remarks and I am pleased about that.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I mentioned this briefly earlier,”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “I look forward to questions from my colleagues.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 96

1 of 24 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 bill under debate.

Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “Of course, I hope the government will work collaboratively and that the talk we are hearing will be followed by more practical measures than the ones in yesterday’s motion.”It calls for practical measures beyond those in yesterday’s motion rather than addressing the bill under debate.

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 · 90

5 of 24 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.

Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “will be enough to control”Asserts sufficiency of the other measures without any evidence or source.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “It is time we sorted this out”Calls for action with no actor, date, measure or success condition.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “we need to democratize the system”A commitment to change with no specific actor, measure or outcome defined.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “That is something we could work on”Open-ended intent with no actor, date or measure attached.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “will be followed by more practical measures”The promised measures have no actor, date or defined content.

Claims · 7

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“a list can sometimes include as many as 72 candidates”Ballots in some large Canadian federal ridings have listed as many as 72 candidates.search
2“Berthier—Maskinongé, for example, with its 108,000 voters and 37 municipalities”The federal riding of Berthier—Maskinongé has 108,000 voters and comprises 37 municipalities.search
3“candidates affiliated with recognized parties were placed on the first page”In the recent Terrebonne by-election, candidates affiliated with recognized parties were placed on the first page of the ballot.search
4“Public funding is allocated based on the number of votes obtained”Quebec allocates public funding of political parties based on the number of votes obtained.search
5“donors are limited to a donation of $100 per year and $200 in an election year”Quebec limits political donations to $100 per year and $200 in an election year.search
6“Chinese-Canadian businessmen planning to open a bank in Canada attended receptions to gain access to the Prime Minister and donated over $1,700”Under the previous prime minister’s government, Chinese-Canadian businessmen planning to open a bank in Canada attended receptions to gain access to the Prime Minister and donated over $1,700.search
7“a lot of messages were sent out to voters to direct them to the wrong polling stations”In a Canadian election, many messages were sent to voters directing them to the wrong polling stations.search

Analysed on 2026-09-16