Discussion · Adjournment Proceedings
Lianne Rood Conservative
“The government's program to help people injured by COVID-19 vaccines is failing. Most of the money has gone to administration instead of victims, and very few claims have been approved. Many people face long delays and rejections. The government must fix this system, treat these Canadians fairly, and give them the financial help they were promised.”
“Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadians who followed the government’s advice, and in many cases, its mandates, have come to me and to colleagues such as the member for Niagara West. They share their lived experiences of having done what they were told they needed to do during the COVID crisis. They are now living with permanent injuries, lost incomes, mounting medical bills and the sense that the government they trusted has abandoned them. At September’s Allison Inquiry, Canadians heard directly from the injured. Fifty Canadians, chosen from more than 1,400 who applied to testify, described the vaccine injury support program as an unmitigated disaster. Of the roughly $56 million paid to the contractor, Oxaro, by the federal government, about $36 million went to administration, and only around $20 million actually reached those who were injured. That is one-third, an abysmal failure, highlighting the Liberal government’s inability to take their concerns seriously. Health Canada has recorded approximately 12,000 serious adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, yet out of the more than 3,500 filed, only a few hundred claims have been approved. A majority of assessed claims have been rejected outright. Claimants describe years of delays, lost medical records, gaslighting and dismissals, like it is all in their heads, as well as the exhaustion of fighting a system that the government claimed was there to help them. We have heard from Canadians who were diagnosed with life-altering conditions. Many Canadians have suffered from myocarditis and stroke. When our free health care system would not provide the care they needed, some people were forced to sell their possessions and travel abroad for treatment. Some lost their careers, including those in the military, who still cannot go back to service. Some were offered medical assistance in dying while they were fighting for recognition. Members can think about that for a moment. The Liberal government asks someone to do something, they comply, and when things go wrong, the government offers to kill them instead of paying off the damages that it had a compensation program for. It is immoral, and it erodes public trust in our institutions. These are not abstract statistics. They are friends, family members, farmers, nurses, students, parents and children who trusted the process. After COVID-19 vaccinations, we have vastly more documented serious adverse health reports than we did during the tainted blood scandal, yet compensation remains limited, and the process has been encumbered by bureaucracy, slow and not transparent at all. Social media commentary and the public record of the Allison Inquiry make the same point repeatedly. People who complied are still waiting, while administrative overhead consumed the majority of the funds. The Liberal government did not learn from the testimony either. Canadians are still describing the same obstacles: red tape, narrow eligibility for serious and permanent injury, multi-year waits and inadequate amounts that do not cover lost income or ongoing costs. An independent inquiry was necessary because of the Liberal government’s failures on accountability and timely support. These Canadians do not deserve to be dismissed. They deserve recognition, fair process and meaningful financial support for their injuries and the economic harm they are living with. The Liberals promised results. All we have received is talk, and it is long past time to deliver on those promises.”
Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadians who followed the government’s advice, and in many cases, its mandates, have come to me and to colleagues such as the member for Niagara West. They share their lived experiences of having done what they were told they needed to do during the COVID crisis. They are now living with permanent injuries, lost incomes, mounting medical bills and the sense that the government they trusted has abandoned them. At September’s Allison Inquiry, Canadians heard directly from the injured. Fifty Canadians, chosen from more than 1,400 who applied to testify, described the vaccine injury support program as an unmitigated disaster. Of the roughly $56 million paid to the contractor, Oxaro, by the federal government, about $36 million went to administration, and only around $20 million actually reached those who were injured. That is one-third, an abysmal failure, highlighting the Liberal government’s inability to take their concerns seriously. Health Canada has recorded approximately 12,000 serious adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, yet out of the more than 3,500 filed, only a few hundred claims have been approved. A majority of assessed claims have been rejected outright. Claimants describe years of delays, lost medical records, gaslighting and dismissals, like it is all in their heads, as well as the exhaustion of fighting a system that the government claimed was there to help them. We have heard from Canadians who were diagnosed with life-altering conditions. Many Canadians have suffered from myocarditis and stroke. When our free health care system would not provide the care they needed, some people were forced to sell their possessions and travel abroad for treatment. Some lost their careers, including those in the military, who still cannot go back to service. Some were offered medical assistance in dying while they were fighting for recognition. Members can think about that for a moment. The Liberal government asks someone to do something, they comply, and when things go wrong, the government offers to kill them instead of paying off the damages that it had a compensation program for. It is immoral, and it erodes public trust in our institutions. These are not abstract statistics. They are friends, family members, farmers, nurses, students, parents and children who trusted the process. After COVID-19 vaccinations, we have vastly more documented serious adverse health reports than we did during the tainted blood scandal, yet compensation remains limited, and the process has been encumbered by bureaucracy, slow and not transparent at all. Social media commentary and the public record of the Allison Inquiry make the same point repeatedly. People who complied are still waiting, while administrative overhead consumed the majority of the funds. The Liberal government did not learn from the testimony either. Canadians are still describing the same obstacles: red tape, narrow eligibility for serious and permanent injury, multi-year waits and inadequate amounts that do not cover lost income or ongoing costs. An independent inquiry was necessary because of the Liberal government’s failures on accountability and timely support. These Canadians do not deserve to be dismissed. They deserve recognition, fair process and meaningful financial support for their injuries and the economic harm they are living with. The Liberals promised results. All we have received is talk, and it is long past time to deliver on those promises.