Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

Stephen Fuhr

Liberal on International Trade 2026-10-06

74 words · 8 sentences · 10 clauses

Replying to Andrew Lawton (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, if the minister wants someone invested in Canada, why has the Prime Minister put 91% of his assets in the United States? This is a very real problem. Canadian businesses in my community and across this country are laying people off because the government has turned its back on them through 10 years of high taxes, high regulations and an inability to get a deal and support businesses. When the Prime Minister told them that they should buy Canadian, they expected him to follow the example and not increase government contracts to the U.S. Was it buy Canadian or sell out 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.

Claims 70%Promise 30%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 52 wordsI think it is important to remind the House that foreign direct investment in Canada is very important. It is at a 23-year high.¹ These companies that do direct work in Canada employ tens of thousands of Canadians. They have IP. They have headquarters. They retain talent. They do many things here. Promise · 22 wordsWe will support them, Vague promiseas we will support Canadian industries, as long as they continue to build out their presence in Canada.Partly on point

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 · 100

0 of 11 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.

Nothing lost points.

Relevance · 46

10 of 11 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 “I think it is important to remind the House that foreign direct investment in Canada is very important.”About the general importance of foreign direct investment, not whether the Prime Minister followed buy Canadian.
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 “It is at a 23-year high.”Gives a statistic on foreign investment levels, not on the question about buy Canadian or U.S. contracts.
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 companies that do direct work in Canada employ tens of thousands of Canadians.”About employment by foreign companies, not about the buy Canadian choice the question raised.
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 “They have IP.”About foreign companies’ intellectual property here, 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 “They have headquarters.”About foreign companies’ headquarters in Canada, 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 “They retain talent.”About foreign companies retaining talent, 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 “They do many things here.”Lists general contributions of foreign companies without addressing buy Canadian or the Prime Minister’s conduct.
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 will support them,”States support for foreign companies without saying whether it was buy Canadian or sell out.
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 will support Canadian industries,”States support for Canadian industries generally, not the choice the question put.
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 long as they continue to build out their presence in Canada.”Sets a condition for support, but does not answer whether the government chose buy Canadian or sell out.

Respect · 100

0 of 11 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 · 93

1 of 11 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 support them”A commitment to support with no measure, date or success condition named.

Claims · 1

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“It is at a 23-year high”Foreign direct investment in Canada in 2026 is at a 23-year high.search

Analysed on 2026-10-19