Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

Steven MacKinnon

Liberal on Government Accountability 2026-06-16

77 words · 3 sentences · 4 clauses

Replying to Andrew Lawton (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, what a mess this is. I actually feel bad for the Prime Minister that this is the cabinet he has to deal with. The fisheries minister shrugged because she did not even know what a question was about, before winging it anyway with a non-answer. The foreign affairs minister just said she is consulting to cover up three years of inaction. The public safety minister is refusing to listen to Canadians’ concerns on Bill C-22 and is hell-bent on ramming it through. I thought we actually had an overperformer with the treasury board president’s finding his notes today, but then the Liberals did not let him answer a question anyway, because he did not have the answer. Is the Prime Minister happy with his front bench? Canadians sure as heck are not.”

Statement grade

Average 64 / 100

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

Positioning 22%Aside 40%Claims 38%

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

Mr. Speaker, Positioning · 17 wordswell, it is pretty obvious that the Leader of the Opposition has an issue on his backbench.PositioningUnearned certainty Aside · 31 wordsAfter all, the colleague sat down at a small desk in a cabin somewhere and wrote out the biography of the leader of the opposition, longhand, ¹and look where he got.AsideOff point Claims · 29 wordsI can tell the House that the Prime Minister, from the G7, from representing us proudly on the world stage, has confidence in the entire team of 174 MPs— ²Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

At a glance

Lost points for
Little substanceMuch of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 34

3 of 7 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 “well, it is pretty obvious that the Leader of the Opposition has an issue on his backbench.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “After all, the colleague sat down at a small desk in a cabin somewhere and wrote out the biography of the leader of the opposition, longhand,”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “and look where he got.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 60

3 of 7 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.

Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “well, it is pretty obvious that the Leader of the Opposition has an issue on his backbench.”About the opposition leader’s own backbench, not the Prime Minister’s satisfaction with his cabinet.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “After all, the colleague sat down at a small desk in a cabin somewhere and wrote out the biography of the leader of the opposition, longhand,”About a backbench member writing a biography, not the ministers the question asked about.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “and look where he got.”A continuation of the remark about that member’s career, not an answer to the question.

Respect · 100

0 of 7 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 · 60

1 of 7 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 “it is pretty obvious”The claim is asserted as self-evident without any supporting source or argument.

Claims · 2

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“wrote out the biography of the leader of the opposition”A Conservative backbench MP (Andrew Lawton) wrote a biography of the Leader of the Opposition (Pierre Poilievre).search
2“the entire team of 174 MPs”The Liberal Party has 174 MPs in the House of Commons as of June 2026.search

Analysed on 2026-10-20