Witness Testimony

David Leis, a public policy executive and former municipal mayor, testified that Canada’s COVID-19 response constituted a significant public policy failure. Drawing on his background in emergency management and public administration, he stated that established emergency plans were not followed and that mortality data early in the pandemic did not justify broad societal lockdowns. He characterized the response as inconsistent with principles of sound policy analysis and argued that political leaders deferred excessively to public health authorities rather than conducting integrated, cross-sector decision-making.
Leis further testified that multiple institutions—including media, courts, healthcare systems, educational bodies, and professional regulators—failed to provide adequate oversight or open debate. He expressed concern about government funding of media organizations, limitations on public debate, and what he described as diminished judicial independence. He emphasized the foundational importance of freedom of expression, open intellectual debate, and adherence to common law traditions in sustaining liberal democracy.
He also discussed broader structural concerns, including the relationship between large corporations and government, the impact of lockdowns on small businesses and the middle class, and the concentration of institutional power. Referencing Sweden as a comparative case, he stated that adherence to established emergency frameworks and less restrictive policies produced more favorable outcomes. He concluded by encouraging greater civic engagement, local political participation, and public vigilance to safeguard democratic governance and civil liberties.