Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal on Finance 2026-04-23

99 words · 7 sentences · 10 clauses

Replying to Pierre Poilievre (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, my question was for the Prime Minister, who is in Ottawa today but is hiding under the desk. He does not want to answer— Mr. Speaker, the reason the Prime Minister hates answering real questions is that it breaks the illusion. Although he would have us believe otherwise, he doubled the deficit Justin Trudeau left us. It is unbelievable. Trudeau left behind a $40‑billion deficit. The deficit is now almost $80 billion. Will he cut back on the bureaucracy, the corporate welfare, the tax havens and other waste to bring down his out-of-control deficit?”

Statement grade

C–

Average 59 / 100

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

Claims 45%Procedure 20%Positioning 18%Promise 16%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 8 wordsthe Leader of the Opposition certainly is here.¹ Procedure · 17 wordsOne thing I can say is that, as the days go by, the questions remain the same.ProcedureOff point Claims · 16 wordsOne thing that is true is that we have the most— Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Procedure · 3 wordsHon. François-Philippe Champagne: ProcedurePositioning · 18 wordsMr. Speaker, I think the members on that side would do well to listen because Canadians are listening.Positioning Claims · 21 wordsCanada’s growth is the second-fastest in the G7.² The International Monetary Fund just confirmed that Canada’s fiscal position is the strongest.³ Promise · 16 wordsOn Tuesday, we will be presenting Canadians with a plan to build a strong Canada together.Off pointVague promise

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 55

4 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.

Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “One thing I can say is that,”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “as the days go by, the questions remain the same.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “Hon. François-Philippe Champagne:”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 “Mr. Speaker, I think the members on that side would do well to listen because Canadians are listening.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 48

4 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 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 “as the days go by, the questions remain the same.”Complains about the questions rather than answering whether spending will be cut
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “Canada’s growth is the second-fastest in the G7.”Offers a growth statistic instead of addressing whether waste will be cut to reduce the deficit
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “The International Monetary Fund just confirmed that Canada’s fiscal position is the strongest.”Cites the IMF on fiscal strength in place of answering the question about cutting spending
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “On Tuesday, we will be presenting Canadians with a plan to build a strong Canada together.”Points to a future plan without answering whether waste will be cut to bring down the deficit

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

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.

Clarity · 75

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 “a plan to build a strong Canada together”The plan has no named contents, measures, or success condition to hold to account.

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“the Leader of the Opposition certainly is here”The Leader of the Opposition was present in the House of Commons during question period on April 23, 2026.search
2“Canada’s growth is the second-fastest in the G7”Canada has the second-fastest economic growth rate among G7 countries.search
3“The International Monetary Fund just confirmed that Canada’s fiscal position is the strongest”The IMF recently confirmed that Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7.search

Analysed on 2026-09-15