Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

Steven MacKinnon

Liberal on Finance 2026-04-27

88 words · 8 sentences · 9 clauses

Replying to Pierre Poilievre (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, I am glad he asked, because I have some direct answers. This is how to answer a question. What is inflationary spending? It is $90 billion for the wasteful Alto project; $1 billion for a gun grab that the public safety minister admits will not stop crime; $20 billion, which is double, for consultants; a 7% increase in the spending on the national bureaucracy; over $1 billion in handouts to fake and phony refugees; a 100% increase in spending on corporate welfare. It is all inflationary spending. Will the Liberals stop putting it on the national credit card and get rid of it instead?”

Statement grade

75 / 100, held down by Relevance

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

Reasoning 26%Claims 7%Promise 18%Procedure 8%The question 41%

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

Mr. Speaker, Reasoning · 23 wordseven for the Leader of the Opposition, it is pretty hard to say that money that has not been spent yet is inflationary. Claims · 6 wordsWe have not done it yet, ¹Promise · 16 wordsalthough we will be building high-speed rail as part of our plan to build Canada strong.²Partly on point Procedure · 7 wordsLet me keep going down the list.Procedure The question · 36 wordsIs the Canada workers benefit inflationary spending? Is it the national school food program? Is it the Canada student loans? What exactly, in the eyes of the Leader of the Opposition, is inflationary spending? Will he—Partly on point

At a glance

Lost points for
Didn't answerNone of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.
Echo ×7“Is it the Canada child benefit?” Said 7 times by 3 members.Every time it was said
Echo ×6“Is it the national school food program?” Said 6 times by 4 members.Every time it was said

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 89

1 of 9 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 “Let me keep going down the list.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 45

8 of 9 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.

Staying near the subject without addressing the matter at hand: what was asked, or what the bill, motion or speech is about.What the tags mean “even for the Leader of the Opposition, it is pretty hard to say that money that has not been spent yet is inflationary.”On the subject of the question, but no answer to what was asked can be drawn from it.
Staying near the subject without addressing the matter at hand: what was asked, or what the bill, motion or speech is about.What the tags mean “We have not done it yet,”On the subject of the question, but no answer to what was asked can be drawn from it.
Staying near the subject without addressing the matter at hand: what was asked, or what the bill, motion or speech is about.What the tags mean “although we will be building high-speed rail as part of our plan to build Canada strong.”States a plan to build high-speed rail without addressing whether the listed spending will be stopped or removed.
Staying near the subject without addressing the matter at hand: what was asked, or what the bill, motion or speech is about.What the tags mean “Is the Canada workers benefit inflationary spending?”Re-asks which programs are inflationary rather than answering whether the spending will be stopped.
Staying near the subject without addressing the matter at hand: what was asked, or what the bill, motion or speech is about.What the tags mean “Is it the national school food program?”Another program added to the counter-question, not an answer to what was asked.
Staying near the subject without addressing the matter at hand: what was asked, or what the bill, motion or speech is about.What the tags mean “Is it the Canada student loans?”Another program added to the counter-question, not an answer to what was asked.
Staying near the subject without addressing the matter at hand: what was asked, or what the bill, motion or speech is about.What the tags mean “What exactly, in the eyes of the Leader of the Opposition, is inflationary spending?”Repeats the earlier counter-question about what counts as inflationary spending without answering.
Staying near the subject without addressing the matter at hand: what was asked, or what the bill, motion or speech is about.What the tags mean “Will he—”A question cut off before its content is stated, so nothing addresses what was asked.

Respect · 100

0 of 9 deductions are Respect

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.

Nothing lost points.

Clarity · 100

0 of 9 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.

Nothing lost points.

Echo · 2 repeated lines

Words members of Parliament keep repeating, found by the same rule for every member. No score depends on it.

“Is it the Canada child benefit?”Said 7 times by 3 members.Every time it was said
“Is it the national school food program?”Said 6 times by 4 members.Every time it was said

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“We have not done it yet”As of April 27, 2026, the government has not yet spent money on building the high-speed rail project.search
2“we will be building high-speed rail”The government plans to build high-speed rail as part of its plan.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20