Analysis · Question Period answer · beta

Steven MacKinnon

Liberal on Public Services and Procurement 2026-11-05

22 words · 2 sentences · 3 clauses

Replying to Gabriel Hardy (Conservative)

“Mr. Speaker, there are other facts to consider. We know that the CEO of Telesat is a long-time friend of the Prime Minister. He attended the Prime Minister’s swearing-in and went to visit him in England. They even run marathons together. How nice for them. The Minister of Artificial Intelligence is also a buddy of Mr. Goldberg’s, but he had to recuse himself from matters involving Telesat to avoid a conflict of interest. Apparently, the Prime Minister is under no obligation to do the same. Can the Prime Minister guarantee that he never participated, directly or indirectly, in the discussions that led to a $2.3-billion contract being awarded to one of his buddies? If he did, that would be illegal.”

Statement grade

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Not graded

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

Claims 59%Positioning 41%

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

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 13 wordsCanada has among the strictest ethics standards, rules and laws in the world.¹ Positioning · 9 wordsWe adhere to them rigorously, Vague promiseand we always will.PositioningPartly on pointVague promise

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 · 57

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.

Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “We adhere to them rigorously,”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 “and we always will.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · 49

3 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 “Canada has among the strictest ethics standards, rules and laws in the world.”About the strength of Canada’s ethics rules in general, not whether the Prime Minister took part in the contract 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 adhere to them rigorously,”Affirms adherence to ethics rules generally without addressing the Prime Minister’s participation in the 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 we always will.”A pledge to keep following ethics rules, not an answer on the Prime Minister’s involvement in the contract talks.

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 · 57

2 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 adhere to them rigorously”A self-praise commitment about conduct with no measure or test named.
A promise with no date, no measure and no one responsible.What the tags mean “we always will”An open-ended pledge with no date, measure or success condition.

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“Canada has among the strictest ethics standards, rules and laws in the world”Canada has among the strictest ethics standards, rules and laws in the world.search

Analysed on 2026-11-06