Analysis · Debate reply · beta

Christine Normandin

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

207 words · 9 sentences · 12 clauses

Replying to Gérard Deltell (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague. I completely agreed with everything, or almost everything, she said. In fact, I was in agreement up until the last sentence. Unfortunately, I was left unsatisfied, although I was hanging on to her every word, but still. I think our colleague described the situation very well. Indeed, there is a difference between winning a majority through votes and winning a majority through floor crossers. That is unheard of in our parliamentary history. For this reason, when we are in a new Parliament, and we should call it like it is, the government must ensure that the opposition parties are consulted in a timely manner in order to reach such an agreement. My question for my colleague is this: Why did the government fail to act respectfully in order to show respect to the opposition parties?”

Statement grade

B+

Average 80 / 100

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

Procedure 4%Claims 64%Reasoning 9%Positioning 23%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 8 wordsI am going to go back in time.Procedure Claims · 75 wordsMembers will recall that a lot of new laws were created at one point in this Parliament, during COVID‑19. During COVID‑19, we had to make a lot of changes to how we did things, particularly to allow members to speak away from their seats, to allow online voting, to start implementing certain things.¹ It faded a bit once there was a Liberal-NDP majority, ²but at the very beginning, there was a willingness to work together. Reasoning · 18 wordsThat is what underpins democracy when it comes to creating new laws, as long as there is consensus, Claims · 58 wordsand that is how it was done.Partly on point The fact that, in a context of new laws, the government has decided quickly and without any consultation to do things as it sees fit is an example of the arrogance we can expect in the future, even though it might not have been necessary to act that way at all. Positioning · 48 wordsThe Bloc Québécois has always proven that it is the adult in the room, that it can speak. Our proposals, the ones I made during my speech, were reasonable.Partly on point That was a missed opportunity for the government to show that it can do something useful and work fairly.Positioning

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 64

4 of 13 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 “I am going to go back in time.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “The Bloc Québécois has always proven that it is the adult in the room, that it can speak.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “Our proposals, the ones I made during my speech, were reasonable.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “That was a missed opportunity for the government to show that it can do something useful and work fairly.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 58

9 of 13 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.

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 “Members will recall that a lot of new laws were created at one point in this Parliament, during COVID‑19.”Background about COVID-era lawmaking, only touching the consultation issue.
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 “During COVID‑19, we had to make a lot of changes to how we did things, particularly to allow members to speak away from their seats, to allow online voting, to start implementing certain things.”About past procedural changes during COVID, not the government’s failure to consult on this motion.
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 “It faded a bit once there was a Liberal-NDP majority,”About the former Liberal-NDP majority, not the consultation asked about.
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 “but at the very beginning, there was a willingness to work together.”About past willingness to work together, offering context rather than answering the question.
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 “That is what underpins democracy when it comes to creating new laws,”A general remark about democracy and consensus, not the government’s conduct on this motion.
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 “as long as there is consensus,”A general condition about consensus, not the consultation failure asked about.
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 “and that is how it was done.”A remark about how things were done in the past, not this government’s failure to consult.
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 “The Bloc Québécois has always proven that it is the adult in the room, that it can speak.”Praise of the Bloc’s own record, not the government’s conduct toward the opposition.
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 “Our proposals, the ones I made during my speech, were reasonable.”About the member’s own proposals, not the question of the government’s respect.

Respect · 100

0 of 13 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 13 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.

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“allow members to speak away from their seats, to allow online voting”During COVID-19, the House of Commons made procedural changes allowing members to speak away from their seats and to vote online.search
2“once there was a Liberal-NDP majority”A Liberal-NDP arrangement giving the government majority support existed at some point during this Parliament.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20