COVID Vaccine Inquiry Has Opened Door to Public Discussion of Injuries, MP Says

The inquiry hearing from Canadians injured by COVID-19 vaccines has “shattered the ceiling on silence” about the issue, while people must ensure that silence is never re-imposed, said the inquiry’s chairman, Conservative MP Dean Allison, who spearheaded the event.

“This inquiry may be ending today, but our work is not. We are not done,” Allison said in concluding remarks on the last day of the inquiry on Sept. 11. “There is more work to do. There are more questions to ask.”

The Allison Inquiry, which began on Sept. 8, heard from Canadians testifying about how COVID-19 vaccine injuries affected their lives, as well as family members discussing the deaths of loved ones and other witnesses raising concerns about the pandemic response.

Allison said people shouldn’t continue suffering because they fear they won’t be believed. Canadians who were injured should also not accept critics’ dismissive claims that their problems are psychological, he said, something many witnesses testified they experienced.

“That’s very offensive to hear,” Allison said. “Compassion should never be controversial.”

Canadians need to have more public conversations about the issue and ask what happened, why it happened, and what the evidence says, he said. Legislators also need to “step up” and advocate for injured Canadians, he added.

“We need to challenge governments to be more accountable. We need to keep pushing for better access to care. We need to push for resources,” he said, highlighting comments witness Dr. Peter McCullough made about health-focused resources and treatments.

“We need transparent surveillance and reporting of adverse events.”

Transparency and accountability are fundamental, Allison said, adding that citizens should expect governments to uphold those principles.

He said “people should [never] think that questions are dangerous,” but should instead view difficult questions as part of the democratic process.

“This inquiry was never intended to be the final word. It was intended to begin a conversation that should have begun years ago,” he said. “There still needs to be a serious examination of how the pandemic was handled.”

Such an examination should ask what governments did right and wrong, what evidence they used to make decisions, what harms occurred, and what can be done differently in the future, he said.

Inquiry’s Lawyer

Shawn Buckley, the inquiry’s in-house lawyer, said the event came together after his wife, Teresa, was inspired to contact Allison about holding something after the MP had mentioned it during a prior meeting.

The trio discussed the issue on a video call, with Buckley encouraging Allison to pray about whether the inquiry was the right move.

The Buckleys thought the topic was finished, but Allison later called and said he felt called to hold the inquiry regardless of the personal or professional cost.

“When you make a decision like this, you don’t know what will follow,” Buckley said.

The Buckleys and Allison and his wife eventually agreed that holding the inquiry was the right step. They then worked to organize the event, recruit volunteers, create a website, and hold a news conference announcing the inquiry.

Buckleys commended witnesses for speaking at great personal, mental, and financial cost, saying it’s important to raise awareness about this issue.

“So let us all be in this together. We’re the ones that changed the world. We’re the ones that make a difference,” he said.