1.3 2024 Public Hearings

General Principles of the 2024 Public Hearings

The public hearings were conducted under the following Rules and Procedural Principles:

1. Proportionality: The Inquiry allocated investigative and hearing time in proportion to the importance and relevance of the issue to the Inquiry‘s mandate and the time available to fulfill that mandate so as to ensure that all relevant issues were fully addressed and reported on;

2. Transparency: The Inquiry proceedings and processes were carried out in a manner that was as open and available to the public as was reasonably possible, consistent with the requirements of national security and other applicable confidentialities and privileges;

3. Fairness: The Inquiry balanced the interests of the the public‘s right to be informed with the rights of witnesses testifying to be treated fairly;

4. Timeliness: The Inquiry proceeded in a timely fashion to engender public confidence and ensure that its work remained relevant; and

5. Expediency: The Inquiry operated under a strict deadline and conducted its work accordingly.

Detailed Rules of Practice and Procedure are available on the NCI Website:

https://nationalcitizensinquiry.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NCI-Commission-Rules-FINAL.pdf

Locations and Schedule of the 2024 Public Hearings

Public hearings were held as follows:

• Regina, Saskatchewan  May 30, 31, June 1, 2024

Members of the public who wished to testify at the Regina hearings were invited to apply through online application forms that were available on the NCI website:

https://nationalcitizensinquiry.ca/hearings24/

Members of the public were offered the option of testifying in person or via live video broadcast.

There were thirty-eight members of the public that testified at the Regina hearings.

Testimony was “invited“ from representatives of all provincial / territorial and federal levels of governments across Canada. Non-judicial subpoenas were issued and government witnesses were given the option of testifying either in-person or on video-conference at any of the three hearing dates or at any other time to suit their schedules.

One sitting representative from the Saskatchewan Legislature testified at the Regina hearings (Hon. Nadine Wilson). No other representative of any government in Canada appeared to testify at the public hearings. All other non-judicial subpoenas sent were either ignored, declined, or not picked up.

As a result of the lack of government representation at the Regina hearings, the Commissioners were unable to hear governments‘ defences of their measures. The inquiry sought to obtain government positions through the consideration of non-oral evidence, such as sworn affidavits of government officials—obtained from various court proceedings. Where such materials have been considered, they form part of the official record. It was this sworn evidence as well as the actions, press releases, statements of policy, and press conferences that were utilized to represent government positions.

Actual recorded statements and press conferences, from various government officials, et cetera, were aired at the Regina hearings.

Despite the fact that the actions taken by all levels of government represented the most profound intrusion into the lives of all Canadians, only one government representative took the opportunity to address the Canadian people and explain her side of the story.

As a citizen-led initiative, the Commission did not have the ability to compel government witnesses to appear through judicial subpoenas.

Conclusion

The NCI’s ongoing efforts underscore the critical importance of addressing the findings of the original 2023 Report. The inaction of the Canadian government in response to these findings, coupled with the emergence of new, serious health risks, necessitated the additional hearings in Regina.

The NCI remains steadfast in its mission to ensure that the voices of Canadians are heard, and that meaningful actions are taken to rectify the profound issues identified. It is our hope that this Supplemental Report will finally prompt the necessary changes to safeguard the health and well being of all Canadians.