Preston Manning Calls for National Citizens’ Inquiry Into Government COVID Response

Panelists at the “Citizens' Hearing”—an independent inquiry into Canada's pandemic response—listen to stories of Canadians adversely affected by COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions, in Toronto on June 23, 2022. (L–R) Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning, retired Ontario pediatrician Dr. Susan Natsheh, and David Ross, president of the Canadian Covid Care Alliance. Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times

Former federal Official Opposition leader and veteran politician Preston Manning announced Nov. 2 that he will spearhead a National Citizens’ Inquiry (NCI) into the government’s handling of COVID-19.

Lockdowns were unprecedented in nature and magnitude, Manning told The Epoch Times.

In a national opinion survey conducted by the NCI in mid-October and published Nov. 1, three out of four respondents reported being hurt or injured by health protection measures put in place by governments during COVID.

“These were not people hurt by COVID,” he said. “They were hurt by lockdowns.”

The survey of more than 1,500 Canadians suggested that isolation was the top harm respondents selected. Twenty-five percent of those polled said they were affected by government restrictions, citing examples such as being prohibited from attending a funeral, being unable to visit sick or other loved ones, education impacts on students, and increased divorce and marital disharmony.

“Canadians want an inquiry into what went right and what went wrong during COVID [and] what lessons were learned that will mean better management of a future national crisis,” said Manning.

He added that a disturbing response emerged from the surveys.

“People saw the link between lockdowns and how it affected the economy, mental health, and social well-being, but the disruption of people’s rights and freedoms was a connection harder for people to see,” he said.

“When your freedoms and rights are limited, it affects all other areas.”

A news release issued Nov. 2 by the National Citizens’ Inquiry stated: “The policy, legal, economic, and health authority interventions into the lives of Canadian families, businesses, and communities ... impacted the physical and mental health, civil liberties, fundamental freedoms, livelihoods, and overall social and economic well-being of all Canadians.”

The organization lists “profound” social impacts, business bankruptcies, delayed health care, and avoidable deaths, attributed to lockdowns, restrictions, and mandates.

11,000 Sign Petition Supporting Inquiry

Manning acknowledged that Canadians might expect it would be the government that commissions such an inquiry, but in this case, his organization suggests that any commission that has a primary purpose of investigating the government response would lack credibility and integrity if conducted by the government.

He said a citizen-led inquiry has proven to be a popular idea. Over 11,000 individuals have gone to the NCI website to sign the petition supporting an inquiry.

A not-for-profit, federally incorporated organization has been set up to take donations and fund the inquiry. The public is being asked to make submissions with names of potential commissioners who could be trusted to be part of such an initiative, which would begin in early 2023.

The inquiry is tentatively set to be two to three days for each hearing, in cities across the country, with a final summary hearing in Ottawa. Citizens would be able to participate both in-person and remotely, and give testimony about how COVID-19 government responses affected their lives.

The inquiry says similar examples of the types of testimony Canadians might expect at the NCI can be found at A Citizens’ Hearing, which held public hearings for citizens June 22–24 in Toronto. The three-day event invited, among others, participation from families who lost loved ones, students who missed educational opportunities, business owners who had to shut their doors, and experts who had criticisms of the government’s lockdown response.

Manning says the inquiry will invite submissions from ordinary people, plus testimony (all under oath) from experts in medicine, law, society, and constitutional rights, with the overall theme being submissions on the impact of COVID public health measures on Canadians.

Manning led the Reform Party of Canada for more than a decade. His late father, Ernest Manning, served as premier of Alberta for 25 years, beginning in 1943.