Analysis · Debate reply · beta

David McGuinty

Liberal on Military Justice System Modernization Act 2026-05-04

113 words · 6 sentences · 8 clauses

Replying to Patrick Bonin (Bloc Québécois)

“Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, there is officially a new dynamic at play, and the government is being rather arrogant, or blatantly arrogant, even. There is no longer any point in speaking in committee because we are not getting any answers. There is a new government that secured a majority with the help of defectors, including an NDP MP. Among other things, this MP was one of the lawmakers who worked on amendments to this bill. Some of these amendments were very constructive and improved the bill, but the Liberals removed some of them for no reason, simply because they have given themselves the right to do whatever they want now and to disregard the will of the people who elected us to represent them and work together. I would like the government to explain to me why it refuses to respect the will of the committee and all the concerted effort that went into producing a better bill for Canadians.”

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 25%Positioning 12%Claims 58%The ask 6%

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

Mr. Speaker, Reasoning · 28 wordsbringing about a cultural shift is not only the right thing to do; it is also essential to meeting our operational needs in the area of national security. Positioning · 13 wordsThis is not at all a partisan issue, and the member knows it.Positioning Claims · 65 wordsWe introduced Bill C-11 to enshrine the main recommendations of Justices Arbour and Fish in the legislation and to restore victims’ and survivors’ confidence in the armed forces.² Justice Arbour’s fifth recommendation involves removing the Canadian Armed Forces’ jurisdiction over the investigation and prosecution of Criminal Code sexual offences.¹ That is exactly what we have proposed and that is exactly what we we are doing.³ The ask · 7 wordsWe hope to have our colleagues’ support.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 · 85

2 of 10 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.

Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “This is not at all a partisan issue,”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 “and the member knows it.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 45

8 of 10 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 “bringing about a cultural shift is not only the right thing to do;”About the case for a cultural shift in the military justice system, not the committee’s will or the process the member raised.
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 also essential to meeting our operational needs in the area of national security.”About operational needs tied to the bill’s subject, not the point about respecting the committee’s work.
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 not at all a partisan issue,”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 “and the member knows it.”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 introduced Bill C-11 to enshrine the main recommendations of Justices Arbour and Fish in the legislation and to restore victims’ and survivors’ confidence in the armed forces.”About the content and purpose of Bill C-11, not the committee’s amendments or the process criticized.
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 “Justice Arbour’s fifth recommendation involves removing the Canadian Armed Forces’ jurisdiction over the investigation and prosecution of Criminal Code sexual offences.”About a recommendation and a provision of Bill C-11, not the committee process the member 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 “That is exactly what we have proposed and that is exactly what we we are doing.”About what the bill does on sexual-offence jurisdiction, not the treatment of committee amendments.
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 hope to have our colleagues’ support.”About seeking support for the bill, not the committee’s will the member asked about.

Respect · 100

0 of 10 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 10 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 · 3

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“Justice Arbour’s fifth recommendation involves removing the Canadian Armed Forces’ jurisdiction over the investigation and prosecution of Criminal Code sexual offences.”Justice Arbour’s fifth recommendation involves removing the Canadian Armed Forces’ jurisdiction over the investigation and prosecution of Criminal Code sexual offences.search
2“We introduced Bill C-11 to enshrine the main recommendations of Justices Arbour and Fish in the legislation”Bill C-11 was introduced to enshrine the main recommendations of Justices Arbour and Fish in the legislation.search
3“That is exactly what we have proposed and that is exactly what we we are doing.”Bill C-11 proposes removing the Canadian Armed Forces’ jurisdiction over the investigation and prosecution of Criminal Code sexual offences.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20