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Elizabeth May

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

117 words · 10 sentences · 12 clauses

Replying to Gérard Deltell (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, of course, I listened carefully to what my Green Party colleague had to say. Unlike the Bloc Québécois member, who refers to her as a member from British Columbia, I refer to her as a member of the Green Party. That is simpler and members know right away who I am talking about. It is like the good old days because the member is now sitting on the same side of the House as the official opposition like she was in 2015. Speaking of elections, I would like to remind the House that, tomorrow, it will be exactly one year since almost all members of the House, except two, were elected. It is rather odd that the government wants to shut down debate on a democratic issue on the eve of the anniversary of the 2025 election. In her case, the member was elected to the House of Commons for a fifth time. Since we are talking about elections and anniversaries, I would like to hear her thoughts on the importance of respecting the will of Canadians as expressed at the polls without taking floor crossers into account.”

Statement grade

62 / 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.

Claims 72%Reasoning 28%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 80 wordsit is true. It is almost the anniversary of the election and there are several members for whom this is their first year in the House.¹Partly on point I very much regret that they have not had the experience I had. I worked for the Progressive Conservative government. I was not a party member, but I worked for Mr. Mulroney’s majority government.²Off point There was more democracy back then. There was more commitment to the environment and to human rights. I am disappointed. Reasoning · 33 wordsWe must establish systems that work for humanity and for the planet. We must not give in to the current power of a government that has a Prime Minister who is very popular, Claims · 4 wordsbut not very democratic.Partly on point

At a glance

Lost points for
Didn't answerNone of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 100

0 of 12 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 · 32

12 of 12 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 “it is true.”It agrees with the remark about the election anniversary but does not address the will of Canadians at the polls.
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 is almost the anniversary of the election and there are several members for whom this is their first year in the House.”It is about the election anniversary and new members, not about respecting voters’ will.
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 very much regret that they have not had the experience I had.”It is about her own experience in the House, not the point put.
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 worked for the Progressive Conservative government.”It is about her past employment, not the election anniversary or voters’ will.
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 was not a party member,”It is about her party membership history, not the point put.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “but I worked for Mr. Mulroney’s majority government.”It is about her past work for a former government, not the point put.
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 “There was more democracy back then.”It contrasts past democracy with today but does not address respecting the election result.
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 “There was more commitment to the environment and to human rights.”It is about past government commitments, not the will of Canadians at the polls.
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 “I am disappointed.”It states disappointment without addressing what was asked about voters’ will.
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 must establish systems that work for humanity and for the planet.”It calls for better systems in general terms without addressing the point put.
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 must not give in to the current power of a government that has a Prime Minister who is very popular,”It describes the government’s power and popularity but not the election result or voters’ will.
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 not very democratic.”It criticizes the Prime Minister’s democratic character without addressing respecting the will expressed at the polls.

Respect · 100

0 of 12 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 12 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“there are several members for whom this is their first year in the House”Several members of the House of Commons first elected in 2025 are in their first year as MPs as of April 2026.search
2“I worked for Mr. Mulroney’s majority government”Elizabeth May worked for Brian Mulroney’s majority Progressive Conservative government.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20