Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

Steven MacKinnon

Liberal on Public Services and Procurement 2026-11-05

78 words · 3 sentences · 5 clauses

Replying to Pierre Poilievre (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, I asked the Prime Minister if he had ever talked to a minister, staff member or public servant about Telesat. He got very nervous. He refused to answer the question, and he talked in generalities about his budget— Some hon. members: Oh, oh! It looks like they are all getting very nervous over there, Mr. Speaker. Let us look at the reality. It is illegal under the Conflict of Interest Act, section 9, for the Prime Minister to in any way discuss matters that could favour the interests of a friend. Dan Goldberg is his friend of 20 years. The company got a $2.3-billion taxpayer-funded contract in August of this year, and contracts have exploded under the Prime Minister. Again, did the Prime Minister ever discuss Telesat with a public servant, a minister or a staff member? Did he ever discuss Telesat, yes or no?”

Statement grade

C+

Average 67 / 100

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

Procedure 6%Claims 36%Promise 29%Positioning 28%

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

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 5 wordsas the leader well knows, ProcedureClaims · 19 wordsbecause he is subject to the same rules, Canada has world-leading rules in terms of ethics, disclosure and compliance.¹ Promise · 23 wordsOf course, we will always at all times comply with the legal provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act and other applicable laws.Vague promise Claims · 9 wordsWe have the most stringent rules in the world, ²Positioning · 22 wordsand obviously every member on this side of the House spends a great deal of time devoted to complying with those regulations.PositioningPartly 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 · 60

2 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 “as the leader well knows,”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 “and obviously every member on this side of the House spends a great deal of time devoted to complying with those regulations.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 46

4 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.

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 “because he is subject to the same rules, Canada has world-leading rules in terms of ethics, disclosure and compliance.”About the general strength of Canada’s ethics rules, not whether Telesat was discussed.
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 “Of course, we will always at all times comply with the legal provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act and other applicable laws.”A general undertaking to comply with the Conflict of Interest Act, not a yes or no on Telesat discussions.
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 have the most stringent rules in the world,”About the stringency of the rules generally, not the question of Telesat discussions.
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 “and obviously every member on this side of the House spends a great deal of time devoted to complying with those regulations.”About members on the government side complying with regulations, not whether Telesat was discussed.

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 · 63

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.

A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “we will always at all times comply”A blanket future commitment with no measure, date, or success condition beyond the verb comply.

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“Canada has world-leading rules in terms of ethics, disclosure and compliance”Canada’s rules on ethics, disclosure and compliance for public officials rank among the world’s leading rules.search
2“the most stringent rules in the world”Canada has the most stringent ethics rules in the world.search

Analysed on 2026-11-06