Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

Heath MacDonald

Liberal on Finance 2026-05-06

83 words · 5 sentences · 7 clauses

Replying to Branden Leslie (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, I wish the minister would come to my riding to talk to the people who are sick and tired of the government overreaching and spending more money than it has year over year. The reality is that the Prime Minister is just the same, except he is a sequel. We all know what sequels are; they are worse than the first. This year, Canadians will spend over $58 billion just to pay interest on our national debt. That is more than the GST brings in and more than the federal government transfers to provinces to deliver health care. When will the Liberal Prime Minister stop making excuses for higher bills, stop the government bloat and stop driving up the cost of living for Canadians?”

Statement grade

76 / 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.

Procedure 14%Claims 77%Promise 8%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 12 wordsit is extremely important to talk about what we do invest in, ProcedureClaims · 64 wordsand farmers are what we are investing in. We have invested more than $1.5 million toward initiatives that will help farmers and processors.¹ We have the productivity superdeduction to boost productivity and encourage innovation.² We also recently announced $27 million for the youth employment and skills program.³ These are important programs that are going to help our farmers, producers and ranchers across the country, Promise · 7 wordsand we will continue to support them.Partly on pointVague promise

At a glance

Lost points for
Didn't answerNone of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 81

1 of 8 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 “it is extremely important to talk about what we do invest in,”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 46

6 of 8 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 question asked.

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 farmers are what we are investing in.”It names farmers as a spending priority without addressing the cost-of-living 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 “We have invested more than $1.5 million toward initiatives that will help farmers and processors.”It gives a spending figure for farmers rather than answering when spending or costs will come down.
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 the productivity superdeduction to boost productivity and encourage innovation.”It describes a tax measure for productivity without addressing the spending question asked.
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 also recently announced $27 million for the youth employment and skills program.”It announces a new program figure without addressing when the government will stop driving up costs.
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 “These are important programs that are going to help our farmers, producers and ranchers across the country,”It praises programs for farmers without answering the question about spending and the cost of living.
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 we will continue to support them.”It promises continued support, not an answer to when spending will be curbed.

Respect · 100

0 of 8 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 · 87

1 of 8 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 “we will continue to support them”A forward commitment with no measure, date, or success condition named.

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“more than $1.5 million toward initiatives that will help farmers and processors”Canada’s government has invested more than $1.5 million toward initiatives helping farmers and processors.search
2“the productivity superdeduction”A productivity superdeduction measure exists in Canada’s tax law to boost productivity and encourage innovation.search
3“recently announced $27 million for the youth employment and skills program”Canada’s government recently announced $27 million for the youth employment and skills program.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20