Analysis · Debate reply · beta

Kody Blois

Liberal on Business of Supply 2026-05-05

129 words · 7 sentences · 8 clauses

Replying to Mario Simard (Bloc Québécois)

“Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague on his French. I will give my colleague a passing grade on that, but I will not give the government a passing grade. The forestry crisis has been going on since 2017. Once in a while, I like to go on the website of the Institut de la statistique du Québec to see how many businesses have closed and how many jobs have been lost since 2017. The last time I checked, 35 major businesses had closed and 29 businesses were experiencing sporadic closures. Their operations were significantly at risk. About 2,200 full-time jobs had been lost and 1,900 part-time jobs had been lost. That is what the softwood lumber dispute is doing. The government has not announced anything yet, other than what we saw last August. That clearly did not meet the expectations of the forestry sector. Everything in the forestry sector is currently destabilized. I want to hear my colleague’s thoughts on that, because we are still waiting for an important and worthwhile announcement about support for the forestry industry.”

Statement grade

B–

74 / 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 57%Promise 43%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 36 wordsI agree that the forestry sector is important in Canada. My riding is home to companies such as Elmsdale Lumber and Ledwidge Lumber.¹ In Nova Scotia, the forestry sector is absolutely crucial to our rural communities. Promise · 42 wordsI think that we can place greater emphasis on all the ideas put forward by members of the House of Commons to ensure that we have specific programs in place to help the sector as a whole during these very difficult times.Vague promise Claims · 23 wordsWe have over $1.5 billion earmarked for the forestry sector.² Things are tough right now due to the conflict with the United States, Promise · 14 wordsbut we need to focus on this sector to ensure it has a future. Claims · 14 wordsSolid wood construction is also more important in the context of Build Canada Homes.³Partly 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 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.

Nothing lost points.

Relevance · 44

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 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 agree that the forestry sector is important in Canada.”It agrees on the sector’s importance but offers no answer on the support announcement 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 “My riding is home to companies such as Elmsdale Lumber and Ledwidge Lumber.”It names companies in the member’s riding without addressing the support asked for.
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 “In Nova Scotia, the forestry sector is absolutely crucial to our rural communities.”It stresses the sector’s importance in Nova Scotia but does not answer what support is coming.
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 think that we can place greater emphasis on all the ideas put forward by members of the House of Commons to ensure that we have specific programs in place to help the sector as a whole during these very difficult times.”It speaks in general terms about ideas for programs without saying what support the government will provide.
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 over $1.5 billion earmarked for the forestry sector.”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 “Things are tough right now due to the conflict with the United States,”It describes the difficulty of the trade conflict without addressing the support announcement 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 we need to focus on this sector to ensure it has a future.”It states a need to focus on the sector’s future but offers no specific measure or announcement.
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 “Solid wood construction is also more important in the context of Build Canada Homes.”It points to solid wood construction under Build Canada Homes rather than the support announcement asked about.

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 · 61

1 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.

A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “place greater emphasis on all the ideas”The speaker commits to no measure, actor, date or success condition, only a general emphasis on ideas.

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“companies such as Elmsdale Lumber and Ledwidge Lumber”The riding of Kings—Hants is home to companies such as Elmsdale Lumber and Ledwidge Lumber.search
2“over $1.5 billion earmarked for the forestry sector”The Government of Canada has over $1.5 billion earmarked for the forestry sector.search
3“Build Canada Homes”The federal Build Canada Homes program exists.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20