Analysis · Debate reply · beta

Aaron Gunn

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

119 words · 5 sentences · 9 clauses

Replying to Mark Gerretsen (Liberal)

“Mr. Speaker, as it relates to floor crossings, I will read a quote that was once said in this House. It reads: Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, I believe members of Parliament should have that freedom and be accountable to their constituents for their decisions at the next election. However, in my observation, the only parties that really have this as an obsession are the parties that no one ever crosses to. Can the member please explain why he so fundamentally disagrees with Stephen Harper?”

Statement grade

A–

Average 88 / 100

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

Claims 87%Procedure 6%Positioning 8%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 10 wordsI was elected to the House to voice my opinions.Partly on point Procedure · 7 wordsThis is not a quote from me.Procedure Claims · 93 wordsWhat I can tell the member, which I totally pointed out in my speech, is that there have been many floor crossings in the history of Canada, ¹but never in 159 years has a government openly courted a large number of MPs to cross the floor to try to change the balance of power in Ottawa and give them a majority government that they did not earn during the last election.² This is what is happening today. This is why so many Canadians are angry; this is why thousands of Canadians feel disenfranchised, Positioning · 9 wordsand this is what we are standing up against.PositioningPartly on pointVague promise

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 82

2 of 7 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 “This is not a quote from me.”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 “and this is what we are standing up against.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 80

4 of 7 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 “I was elected to the House to voice my opinions.”States his general role as an MP rather than explaining the disagreement 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 “This is why so many Canadians are angry;”Moves to Canadians’ anger rather than the comparison with Stephen Harper’s view.
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 “this is why thousands of Canadians feel disenfranchised,”About Canadians feeling disenfranchised, not the disagreement he was asked to explain.
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 this is what we are standing up against.”States his own stance against the situation, not why he differs from the view quoted.

Respect · 100

0 of 7 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 · 89

1 of 7 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.

A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “this is what we are standing up against”The commitment names no concrete action, measure, or success condition.

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 have been many floor crossings in the history of Canada”There have been many floor crossings in Canadian history.search
2“never in 159 years has a government openly courted a large number of MPs to cross the floor”In the 159 years since Confederation, no Canadian government has openly courted a large number of MPs to cross the floor to gain a majority it did not win in an election.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20