Liberal MPs on the Commons Health committee on Monday rejected the idea of having a public inquiry into how the federal government managed the COVID-19 pandemic.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the cabinet chose to do a closed-door review of the COVID-19 pandemic by advisors to the minister of Health.“Confidence has been tested and it has been shaken,” said New Democrat MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, BC). “The only way to restore confidence in the public is to have the courage to have a full, broad, root-to-branch, transparent and searching public inquiry into how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled.”Bill C-293 An Act Respecting Pandemic Prevention sponsored by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York, ON) proposed that the cabinet “establish an advisory committee” to conduct a two-year review of pandemic management.Davies wanted to change the bill to allow for a full judicial inquiry under the Inquiries Act.“We need to have an impartial, independent, public and properly resourced inquiry to undertake this work,” said Davies. Only a public inquiry would “have the power to subpoena documents” and compel federal authorities to testify under oath, he said.The Liberal MPs on the Health committee voted against the amendment with a 5 to 2 vote.Conservative MPs chose to abstain. They did not support the bill because they believed the bill to be flawed.“The Liberal government has chosen not to have a pandemic inquiry,” said Conservative MP Stephen Ellis (Cumberland-Colchester, NS). “It would appear by this bill the Liberal government doesn’t wish to have a public inquiry, that they would be satisfied having a private member’s bill.”Numerous audits faulted the cabinet and the Public Health Agency of Canada for mismanagement of the pandemic. In a 2021 report Pandemic Preparedness, the Auditor General said the cabinet was “not adequately prepared” despite repeated warnings. An internal audit Lessons Learned From the Public Health Agency of Canada’s COVID-19 Response faulted managers for “confusion,” “limited public health expertise,” and “no clear understanding” of how to compile critical data.The Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, Canadian Public Health Association, and Canadian Medical Association all spoke out and expressed their concerns about how the pandemic was handled.“We were caught flat-footed,” Dr. Sandy Buchman, then-president of the Medical Association, testified at 2020 hearings of the Commons Health committee. “I don’t think we were adequately prepared.”Conservative MP Ted Falk (Provencher, MB) said in the House of Commons that Bill C-293 did not seem to have a purpose.“Canadians will never get the answers they deserve if the ministers who perpetuated or promoted many of the failures, abuses and violations of Charter rights that we have seen over the past two years are the same ones tasked with reviewing their own government’s response,” said Falk.
Liberal MPs on the Commons Health committee on Monday rejected the idea of having a public inquiry into how the federal government managed the COVID-19 pandemic.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the cabinet chose to do a closed-door review of the COVID-19 pandemic by advisors to the minister of Health.“Confidence has been tested and it has been shaken,” said New Democrat MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, BC). “The only way to restore confidence in the public is to have the courage to have a full, broad, root-to-branch, transparent and searching public inquiry into how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled.”Bill C-293 An Act Respecting Pandemic Prevention sponsored by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York, ON) proposed that the cabinet “establish an advisory committee” to conduct a two-year review of pandemic management.Davies wanted to change the bill to allow for a full judicial inquiry under the Inquiries Act.“We need to have an impartial, independent, public and properly resourced inquiry to undertake this work,” said Davies. Only a public inquiry would “have the power to subpoena documents” and compel federal authorities to testify under oath, he said.The Liberal MPs on the Health committee voted against the amendment with a 5 to 2 vote.Conservative MPs chose to abstain. They did not support the bill because they believed the bill to be flawed.“The Liberal government has chosen not to have a pandemic inquiry,” said Conservative MP Stephen Ellis (Cumberland-Colchester, NS). “It would appear by this bill the Liberal government doesn’t wish to have a public inquiry, that they would be satisfied having a private member’s bill.”Numerous audits faulted the cabinet and the Public Health Agency of Canada for mismanagement of the pandemic. In a 2021 report Pandemic Preparedness, the Auditor General said the cabinet was “not adequately prepared” despite repeated warnings. An internal audit Lessons Learned From the Public Health Agency of Canada’s COVID-19 Response faulted managers for “confusion,” “limited public health expertise,” and “no clear understanding” of how to compile critical data.The Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, Canadian Public Health Association, and Canadian Medical Association all spoke out and expressed their concerns about how the pandemic was handled.“We were caught flat-footed,” Dr. Sandy Buchman, then-president of the Medical Association, testified at 2020 hearings of the Commons Health committee. “I don’t think we were adequately prepared.”Conservative MP Ted Falk (Provencher, MB) said in the House of Commons that Bill C-293 did not seem to have a purpose.“Canadians will never get the answers they deserve if the ministers who perpetuated or promoted many of the failures, abuses and violations of Charter rights that we have seen over the past two years are the same ones tasked with reviewing their own government’s response,” said Falk.
