Analysis · Debate reply · beta

Leslie Church

Liberal on Adjournment Proceedings 2026-06-04

556 words · 31 sentences · 42 clauses

Replying to Garnett Genuis (Conservative)

“Madam Speaker, we face serious economic problems now as a country. We are the only G20 nation in a recession. One in four Canadians is living food-insecure. We have seen a doubling of food bank use since 2020, and we are in the midst of a worsening unemployment crisis, particularly affecting Canada’s young people. We have been repeatedly calling on the government to implement a plan to respond to this youth unemployment crisis. In the fall, Conservatives put forward our plan with a series of constructive suggestions focused on unleashing the economy, fixing immigration, fixing training and building homes where the jobs are. We have not seen a willingness on the part of the government to implement these constructive proposals. In fact, we have seen the government choose to move in the opposite direction. We saw, for instance, with changes the Liberals made, the cutting of grants to students who are studying at vocational institutions. The Liberals ended completion grants for students in the trades. They brought them back eventually, following strong advocacy from unions, as well as from Conservatives, but they have now trumpeted them as if they were something new when they were, in fact, the restoration of grants that had previously been cut by this particular government under the Prime Minister. We are seeing some instances in which our advocacy has made a difference, but generally speaking, there is an unwillingness of the government to meet this moment. I will also draw the attention of members, in the context of this unemployment crisis, to a great report recently done by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business highlighting the challenges small businesses are facing when it comes to hiring young people and some of the disconnect that has existed between small businesses and young people. Its proposal, very much aligning with what we have talked about, focuses on creating the conditions in which small businesses can afford to hire young people. It proposed, for instance, payroll tax relief. Payroll tax relief would be a clear and simple way of making it easier for small businesses to hire young people. Small business owners report that a lot of the programming that exists right now can be difficult and onerous for small businesses to use and take advantage of. The CFIB proposed broad-based changes that would reduce the cost of hiring, taking into consideration the costs of training and making it easier for people to start and grow businesses. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has also highlighted big gaps in terms of entrepreneurship in this country. It is talking about an entrepreneurial drought and saying that far more businesses are closing than are being started. Obviously, this affects the unemployment situation for young people. As I have led this file over the last year, and as Conservatives have been working on confronting this youth unemployment crisis, we have always sought to be constructive. That is, we have sought to put forward specific, concrete suggestions to the government on how these challenges can be addressed. We have put those forward in the form of the Conservative youth jobs plan. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has put forward its ideas, which are very similar to ours, but really emphasizes payroll tax relief. We have called on the government to adopt these suggestions. What we saw in the last fiscal update is a plan on the part of the government to increase EI premiums, which is again going in the opposite direction from what the Canadian Federation of Independent Business wants. My question tonight for the parliamentary secretary is this: When will we see a concrete plan to address the youth unemployment crisis that responds to these realities and recommendations by different stakeholders?”

Statement grade

A–

Average 85 / 100

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

Procedure 5%Claims 72%Positioning 7%Reasoning 3%Promise 4%The ask 6%The question 3%

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

Madam Speaker, Procedure · 25 wordsallow me to focus on the positive measures the government is continuing to pursue as we work to mitigate the impact of these uncertain times.ProcedureVague promise Claims · 37 wordsAs the Prime Minister has said, as we cope with economic uncertainty, our most powerful recourse, our most powerful tool is to control what is within our power to control, ¹and that is what we are doing.Partly on point Positioning · 15 wordsLet me focus on the government’s uncompromising commitment to build a stronger, more inclusive economy.Positioning Claims · 121 wordsNothing represents the power of that commitment more than our labour market development agreements and workforce development agreements. These agreements forged between the federal government and the provincial and territorial governments are engines of opportunity, resilience and growth. They provide $2.9 billion annually in training and employment assistance services delivered through provincial and territorial employment assistance offices.² This approach empowers Canadians with the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing labour market. They offer targeted training programs. They offer career services. They offer all manner of employment supports. They are boosting the employment opportunities of Canadian workers, whether they are new graduates, mid-career professionals, or individuals facing barriers to employment. Through these programs, Canadian workers can adapt and thrive. Procedure · 5 wordsThe results speak for themselves.ProcedureUnearned certainty Claims · 39 wordsEach year, more Canadians are able to access skills training that leads directly to a career in a field where workers are needed. Job seekers are not only finding work faster but also securing more stable and higher-quality jobs. Reasoning · 18 wordsHowever, there are no jobs without employers, and this is why we are ensuring that employers also benefit.Vague promise Claims · 108 wordsThey get a more skilled and job-ready workforce and an ability to hire more quickly. Both of these advantages foster a boost in productivity. This alignment between worker skills and employers is crucial. It has the power to strengthen entire industries. A well-trained workforce drives innovation, attracts investment and enhances Canada’s global competitiveness. This is why our government’s workforce tariff response, for example, is providing a further $570 million until 2027-28 under the labour market development agreements.³ This is funding that will support tariff-impacted employers and workers in the steel and softwood lumber sectors and in other tariff-impacted industries.⁴ Global economies have shifted, and tariff tensions are high, Positioning · 24 wordsbut as Canadians, we do not stand idly by. We build, Partly on pointand our skilled trades workers are the ones who will build our future, PositioningClaims · 96 wordsbut we are facing a serious shortage in the trades. This is why we have made a historic five-year, $6-billion investment to help workers and young people gain the skills, experience and support they need in order to thrive.⁵ This is where team Canada strong comes in. It is the basis of our spring economic update, and it is our plan to train, recruit and hire up to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers to meet the demand.⁶ It is a plan that will help apprentices learn and train, and to access meaningful and well-paid careers. Promise · 21 wordsI can assure the House that the Government of Canada will always have the back of our workers and their families.Vague promise The ask · 33 wordsWith respect to the importance of the skilled trades and apprenticeships, I have to note that I would encourage the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan to support our new plan for the trades, The question · 14 wordsand I ask him why he voted against it in our spring economic update.⁷

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 74

6 of 18 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 “allow me to focus on the positive measures the government is continuing to pursue as we work to mitigate the impact of these uncertain times.”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 “Let me focus on the government’s uncompromising commitment to build a stronger, more inclusive economy.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “The results speak for themselves.”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 “but as Canadians, we do not stand idly by.”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 “We build,”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 our skilled trades workers are the ones who will build our future,”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 80

8 of 18 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 we cope with economic uncertainty, our most powerful recourse, our most powerful tool is to control what is within our power to control,”General remarks on coping with economic uncertainty, not the youth unemployment plan 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 “and that is what we are doing.”A general statement of the government’s approach, not a response to the 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 is why our government’s workforce tariff response, for example, is providing a further $570 million until 2027-28 under the labour market development agreements.”About funding for tariff-impacted sectors generally, touching youth unemployment only indirectly.
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 funding that will support tariff-impacted employers and workers in the steel and softwood lumber sectors and in other tariff-impacted industries.”About tariff-affected industries such as steel and softwood lumber, not the youth employment measures 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 “Global economies have shifted,”About global economic shifts, not the youth unemployment plan.
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 tariff tensions are high,”About tariff tensions generally, 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 “but as Canadians, we do not stand idly by.”A general statement of resolve, not a response on youth unemployment.
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 build,”A general statement of resolve, not a response on youth unemployment.

Respect · 100

0 of 18 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 · 86

4 of 18 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 “as we work to mitigate the impact of these uncertain times”The commitment to mitigate names no measure, actor beyond a bare we, or success condition.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “The results speak for themselves”The phrase substitutes for presenting the actual results or a source.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “we are ensuring that employers also benefit”The action claims ensuring benefits without naming any measure or how it is done.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “will always have the back of our workers and their families”The commitment has no action, date, or measure, only an open-ended assurance.

Claims · 7

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“our most powerful tool is to control what is within our power to control”The Prime Minister has said that in coping with economic uncertainty, our most powerful tool is to control what is within our power to control.search
2“$2.9 billion annually in training and employment assistance services”Canada’s labour market development agreements and workforce development agreements provide $2.9 billion annually in training and employment assistance services through provincial and territorial employment assistance offices.search
3“$570 million until 2027-28 under the labour market development agreements”The government’s workforce tariff response provides $570 million until 2027-28 under the labour market development agreements.search
4“support tariff-impacted employers and workers in the steel and softwood lumber sectors”The workforce tariff response funding is designated to support tariff-impacted employers and workers in the steel and softwood lumber sectors and other tariff-impacted industries.search
5“historic five-year, $6-billion investment”The government has made a five-year, $6-billion investment to help workers and young people gain skills, experience and support.search
6“train, recruit and hire up to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers”The government’s spring economic update includes a plan to train, recruit and hire up to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers.search
7“why he voted against it in our spring economic update”Garnett Genuis, the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, voted against the government’s spring economic update.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20