Analysis · Debate reply · beta

Steven MacKinnon

Liberal on Government Business No. 9—Changes to the Standing Orders 2026-04-27

132 words · 6 sentences · 8 clauses

Replying to Scot Davidson (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, I had to pull up my question for the government House leader. I am glad he is here today. I asked the member for Winnipeg North this question. I did not quite get a satisfactory answer. When justifying the government’s motion, the government House leader called this principle “undeniable”. Does the government understand that the entire purpose of parliamentary committees is to ensure that nothing is undeniable, that every action, every claim, every program and every policy is examined on its own merits? A government that declares itself undeniable has told this House exactly why it must not be trusted with committee control, control that Canadians did not give it in a general election.”

Statement grade

A–

Average 89 / 100

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

Claims 82%Procedure 4%Reasoning 14%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 13 wordsin fact, I think we agree on much more than we disagree on.Unearned certainty Procedure · 5 wordsWe believe as well that, ProcedureClaims · 95 wordsas my hon. colleague points out, the essence of this Parliament, of its institutions and of its committees is to hold governments to account and perform these kinds of examinations of laws, budgets, estimates and differing matters in terms of public policy, to ask probing questions and to demand accountability. That is the essence of our parliamentary democracy. None of that changes, of course, with the proceedings today.Vague promise Committees retain the same powers, the same abilities and the same privileges that they have to call witnesses and compel documents and testimony.¹ All of that continues, Vague promiseReasoning · 19 wordsand we would argue that it is in our best democratic traditions that we are debating this matter today.

At a glance

Lost points for
AnsweredOf this reply, 100% addressed the question or point raised.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 95

1 of 4 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.

Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “We believe as well that,”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 100

0 of 4 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 point put to the member, and the motion under debate.

Nothing lost points.

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 · 73

3 of 4 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 “in fact”The formula asserts agreement as fact in place of any evidence or source.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “None of that changes”An assurance with no actor, measure, or condition that a reader could later check.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “All of that continues”A sweeping continuation claim with no actor, date, or success condition.

Claims · 1

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“Committees retain the same powers, the same abilities and the same privileges that they have to call witnesses and compel documents and testimony.”House of Commons committees retain the same powers to call witnesses and compel documents and testimony notwithstanding the proceedings under Government Business No. 9 debated on April 27, 2026.search

Analysed on 2026-09-16