Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal on Finance 2026-10-20

84 words · 9 sentences · 10 clauses

Replying to Michael Cooper (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, today’s PBO report reveals that the Liberals will blow through a key fiscal anchor that they promised only months ago. The Liberals promised declining deficits to GDP. The PBO confirms the opposite: rising deficits to GDP. This is a complete indictment. The Liberals are failing to follow through on a central pillar of their budgetary policy. In the face of that, how can Canadians have any confidence in their so-called fiscal plan?”

Statement grade

Average 75 / 100

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

Procedure 24%Claims 52%Promise 24%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 12 wordsI am afraid the member will have to change his QP card.Procedure Claims · 11 wordsIn fact, Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7.¹ Procedure · 8 wordsThat is the reality.Unearned certainty These are the facts.ProcedureUnearned certainty Claims · 33 wordsWe have the lowest net debt to GDP.² We have one of the lowest deficits to GDP.³ We have a AAA credit rating.⁴ Investment is up, trade is up, ⁵and employment is up.⁶ Promise · 20 wordsOn this side of the House, we are going to continue to build Canada strong with Canadians across the nation.Off pointVague promise

At a glance

Lost points for
Echo ×14“Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7.” Said 14 times by 7 members.Every time it was said
Echo ×9“We have a AAA credit rating.” Said 9 times by 5 members.Every time it was said

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 71

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.

Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “I am afraid the member will have to change his QP card.”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 “That is the reality.”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 “These are the facts.”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 64

1 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 “On this side of the House, we are going to continue to build Canada strong with Canadians across the nation.”Praise of the government’s own plans, not an answer on the fiscal plan’s credibility.

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 · 64

3 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 “That is the reality”The speaker asserts a condition as fact without providing supporting evidence.
Something stated as certain with nothing to back it.What the tags mean “These are the facts”The speaker presents a general claim as factual without citing a source or supporting data.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “to build Canada strong with Canadians across the nation”The statement commits to an indefinite future action without defining measures or goals.

Echo · 2 repeated lines

Words members of Parliament keep repeating, found by the same rule for every member. No score depends on it.

“Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7.”Said 14 times by 7 members.Every time it was said
“We have a AAA credit rating.”Said 9 times by 5 members.Every time it was said

Claims · 6

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“Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7”Canada has the strongest fiscal position among G7 countries.search
2“the lowest net debt to GDP”Canada has the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7.search
3“one of the lowest deficits to GDP”Canada has one of the lowest deficit-to-GDP ratios in the G7.search
4“a AAA credit rating”Canada has a AAA credit rating.search
5“Investment is up, trade is up”Investment and trade in Canada are up.search
6“employment is up”Employment in Canada is up.search

Analysed on 2026-10-22