Analysis · Debate reply · beta

James Bezan

Conservative on Strengthening Canada's Defence Sector Act 2026-10-20

127 words · 9 sentences · 12 clauses

Replying to Mark Gerretsen (Liberal)

“Madam Speaker, I was sitting upstairs in my office watching this debate and heard the member’s account of creative accounting as it relates to the percentage of GDP spent on defence, and I could not help but come here to challenge him on that point. He is saying that we came up with a new creative accounting measure that basically started including things like the Coast Guard, but that is not true. The reason we include the Coast Guard now is that other countries like the United States have always been including the Coast Guard. We decided that, rather than let the formula be different for each country, we should have a formula that is consistent among other countries. How do I know this? I learned it at the same time the member learned it when we both sat on the national defence committee together back in 2017. Would the member like to rephrase the way he made that intervention earlier by suggesting it was creative accounting when all we were doing was matching our accounting with the way that other countries were doing it?”

Statement grade

Average 79 / 100

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

Positioning 31%Claims 54%Aside 6%Reasoning 10%

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

Madam Speaker, Positioning · 28 wordsthe member for Kingston and the Islands is much like the member for Winnipeg North. They think that if they say it loud enough, they must be right.PositioningOff point Claims · 55 wordsThe fact remains that the Harper government never did that.¹Unearned certainty Conservatives made the investments in the Canadian Armed Forces. The Coast Guard was not considered part of that calculation, ²nor were pensions, which are now in there, ³nor some spending from Global Affairs Canada, the RCMP and the CBSA that are all thrown in there.⁴ Positioning · 11 wordsThe Liberals have thrown everything in there except the kitchen sink.Positioning Aside · 7 wordsNo, wait, that is in there, too.Aside Claims · 13 wordsIf we do an apples-to-apples comparison of 2023-24, the Liberals are at 1.05%.⁵ Reasoning · 13 wordsThat is really embarrassing, knowing the dangerous world that we live in today.

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 57

4 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 “the member for Kingston and the Islands is much like the member for Winnipeg North.”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 “They think that if they say it loud enough, they must be right.”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 “The Liberals have thrown everything in there except the kitchen sink.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
A remark off to the side of the point.What the tags mean “No, wait, that is in there, too.”An aside: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 71

2 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 point put to the member, and the bill under debate.

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 member for Kingston and the Islands is much like the member for Winnipeg North.”A remark about the member’s style, not the accounting question put to him.
Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate.What the tags mean “They think that if they say it loud enough, they must be right.”A remark about the member’s style, not the accounting question put to him.

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 · 89

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 “The fact remains”The phrase asserts certainty in place of a source for the claim about what the Harper government did.

Claims · 5

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 Harper government never did that”Canada’s defence spending calculation under the Harper government did not include items such as the Coast Guard, which the current method includes.search
2“The Coast Guard was not considered part of that calculation”Under the Harper government’s calculation of defence spending, the Canadian Coast Guard was not counted as part of defence expenditure.search
3“which are now in there, ”Canada’s current calculation of defence spending includes military pensions, which were not included in the earlier Harper-era calculation.search
4“some spending from Global Affairs Canada, the RCMP and the CBSA”Canada’s current defence spending calculation includes some spending from Global Affairs Canada, the RCMP and the CBSA.search
5“the Liberals are at 1.05%”On an apples-to-apples comparison, Canada’s defence spending in 2023-24 was 1.05% of GDP under the Liberal government.search

Analysed on 2026-10-22