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QUESTION PERIOD — Health

Review of Pandemic Response

February 12, 2024


Government leader, we have all been listening to the Auditor General’s report on ArriveCAN, which is profoundly disturbing, but I have a question on a larger point. We now know that the government has convened an expert panel to conduct a review of the federal pandemic response headed by former U.K. chief science adviser, Mark Walport. But this review has been shrouded in secrecy: Calls are not returned; questions are not answered. Most countries in the world have done a 360 review of their pandemic response so that we can all learn from mistakes. When will this report be made public? Will Parliament, including the Senate, be allowed to study this report and question the author, and will government ministers at the time and now come forward and be accountable for the decisions?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) [ + ]

Thank you for your question.

It is certainly important that we learn from the very challenging experience that we all lived through. I will certainly bring your question to the attention of the minister because I don’t have the specific answer to your question.

I think it’s important when you are asking that to consider that many of the ministers changed jobs and responsibilities after the cabinet shuffle. So we would need to hear from them on their previous responsibilities as well as their current ones, if you could make that point.

Senator Gold [ + ]

I think that’s a legitimate point, senator, and I’ll certainly add that to my inquiries.

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