Analysis · Debate reply · beta

Tim Louis

Liberal on Adjournment Proceedings 2026-05-06

362 words · 17 sentences · 20 clauses

Replying to Dan Mazier (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to be at the late show to follow up on some questions that need to be answered. Last week, Conservatives called an emergency meeting of the health committee to investigate the $300 million the Liberals wasted on PrescribeIT. When we moved a motion to call on the Auditor General to investigate the program, the Liberal parliamentary secretary for health moved a motion to turn off the committee cameras. My question is simple: Why did the Liberals turn off the cameras?”

Statement grade

C+

68 / 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 64%Reasoning 17%Positioning 12%Promise 6%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 52 wordsas the member knows, Canada Health Infoway has received funding from the Government of Canada for 25 years.¹ That is 25 years of Liberal and Conservative governments alike recognizing that we need to come together with the provinces and territories to jointly fund an organization that promotes improving our health data infrastructure. Reasoning · 46 wordsThis collaboration with provinces and territories is essential in a country like Canada, where health care falls under provincial jurisdiction. This means that we need to work together, alongside the provinces and territories, ensuring that our health care system responds to the needs of all Canadians. Claims · 49 wordsThat is why the previous government worked with Infoway and the provinces and territories to launch PrescribeIT in 2017.² The federal government heard from our provincial and territorial partners that our health care data was being held back by a long-standing dependence on paper and fax to transmit prescriptions. Reasoning · 17 wordsWe should not be relying on fax machines at a time when information is so easily accessible. Claims · 132 wordsTo try to address this challenge, the previous government provided seed funding to Health Canada Infoway for a program that would replace this outdated reliance on fax machines. This was never intended to be long-term, ongoing funding. From the beginning, the plan was for PrescribeIT to become self-sufficient. Nearly a decade later, it was clear this plan had failed. While nearly 11 million prescriptions were fulfilled last year using PrescribeIT, that number is only 5% of prescriptions across Canada.³ Doctors and pharmacies alike did not use the system. Our new government came into office and took a look at what was working and what was not. Based on our careful review, we saw that there was no path for PrescribeIT to become financially sustainable, and we ended the funding for the program.⁴ Positioning · 44 wordsThe Conservatives seem to think there is something wrong with ending a program that has low uptake, but the fact is that our new government takes its role as steward and custodian of taxpayer dollars very seriously, especially when it comes to health care.PositioningUnearned certainty Promise · 22 wordsWe are committed to focusing on resources where those dollars will deliver the greatest benefit to patients and our health care system.Partly on pointVague promise

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 · 78

2 of 24 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 “The Conservatives seem to think there is something wrong with ending a program that has low uptake,”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 “but the fact is that our new government takes its role as steward and custodian of taxpayer dollars very seriously, especially when it comes to health care.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 38

20 of 24 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 on notice, as the member's speech raises 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 “as the member knows, Canada Health Infoway has received funding from the Government of Canada for 25 years.”About Infoway’s history of federal funding, not the turning off of the committee cameras.
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 25 years of Liberal and Conservative governments alike recognizing that we need to come together with the provinces and territories to jointly fund an organization that promotes improving our health data infrastructure.”About past governments’ support for Infoway, not the cameras 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 “This collaboration with provinces and territories is essential in a country like Canada,”About federal-provincial collaboration in general, not the cameras.
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 “where health care falls under provincial jurisdiction.”About provincial jurisdiction over health care, not 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 “This means that we need to work together, alongside the provinces and territories, ensuring that our health care system responds to the needs of all Canadians.”About working with provinces and territories, not the cameras.
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 why the previous government worked with Infoway and the provinces and territories to launch PrescribeIT in 2017.”About the launch of PrescribeIT in 2017, not the turning off of the cameras.
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 “The federal government heard from our provincial and territorial partners that our health care data was being held back by a long-standing dependence on paper and fax to transmit prescriptions.”About the problem PrescribeIT was meant to address, not 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 “We should not be relying on fax machines at a time when information is so easily accessible.”About fax machines in prescriptions, not the cameras.
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 “To try to address this challenge, the previous government provided seed funding to Health Canada Infoway for a program that would replace this outdated reliance on fax machines.”About the seed funding for PrescribeIT, not 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 “This was never intended to be long-term, ongoing funding.”About the original intent of the funding, not the cameras.
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 “From the beginning, the plan was for PrescribeIT to become self-sufficient.”About the plan for PrescribeIT’s self-sufficiency, not 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 “Nearly a decade later, it was clear this plan had failed.”About the plan’s failure, not the turning off of the cameras.
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 “While nearly 11 million prescriptions were fulfilled last year using PrescribeIT, that number is only 5% of prescriptions across Canada.”About PrescribeIT’s usage figures, not 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 “Doctors and pharmacies alike did not use the system.”About uptake of the system by doctors and pharmacies, not the cameras.
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 “Our new government came into office and took a look at what was working and what was not.”About the government’s review of the program, not 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 “Based on our careful review, we saw that there was no path for PrescribeIT to become financially sustainable,”About the funding decision on PrescribeIT, not the cameras.
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 ended the funding for the program.”About ending the program’s funding, not the turning off of the cameras.
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 “The Conservatives seem to think there is something wrong with ending a program that has low uptake,”About the Conservatives’ view of the funding decision, not the cameras 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 “but the fact is that our new government takes its role as steward and custodian of taxpayer dollars very seriously, especially when it comes to health care.”About the government’s stewardship of taxpayer dollars, not 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 “We are committed to focusing on resources where those dollars will deliver the greatest benefit to patients and our health care system.”About future spending priorities in health care, not the cameras.

Respect · 100

0 of 24 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 · 76

2 of 24 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.

Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “the fact is”The formula asserts a characterisation as fact without a source.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “We are committed to focusing on resources”The commitment names no measure, date or success condition.

Claims · 4

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“Canada Health Infoway has received funding from the Government of Canada for 25 years”Canada Health Infoway has received funding from the Government of Canada for 25 years.search
2“the previous government worked with Infoway and the provinces and territories to launch PrescribeIT in 2017”PrescribeIT was launched in 2017 in partnership with Canada Health Infoway and the provinces and territories.search
3“nearly 11 million prescriptions were fulfilled last year using PrescribeIT, that number is only 5% of prescriptions across Canada”Nearly 11 million prescriptions were filled through PrescribeIT last year, about 5% of prescriptions across Canada.search
4“we ended the funding for the program”The federal government ended funding for the PrescribeIT program.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20