As Canadians mark the departure of Dr. Theresa Tam, former chief public health officer, it’s time to pull back the curtain on a tenure defined by secrecy, entitlement, and catastrophic missteps. Internal documents reveal a bureaucrat more concerned with petty reimbursements than safeguarding a nation.

In a December 2019 email, Tam sought reimbursement for a $17.50 parking fee at Ottawa's Rideau Centre, claiming she "forgot" the receipt. She detailed parking from 9:15 AM to attend a "reception" at the National Arts Centre (NAC) and a walk to Parliament Hill. With a salary between $226,100 and $265,000, Tam's demand that taxpayers cover her parking reeks of privilege, but even more troubling, the NAC event raises red flags.

There's no public record of a reception—only a later Nutcracker performance. Parliament wasn't even in session, shuttered post-election until December 5. So, was Tam really doing official business that warranted expenses on the taxpayers' dime?

Further scrutiny uncovers a pattern of vague expenses. On November 30, 2019, Tam billed $45 for "parking" for "various meetings." No specifics, and no receipts; an opacity that aligns with her broader failures.

In October 2019, COVID-19 traces emerged at Wuhan's Military World Games in China, yet Tam ignored early warnings. By December 30, Canada's Global Public Health Intelligence Network flagged a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan. Did Tam act? No. Canadians were left uninformed as nearly 9 million medical supplies languished in the mismanaged National Emergency Strategic Stockpile, meant to be overseen by Tam's department.

Further email communication shows that Tam's priorities were elsewhere. On December 4, 2019, she met with the scandal-plagued WE Charity in Toronto to "explore partnerships."

Yes, that's the same charity embroiled in political scandal in 2020 after being awarded a $912 million contract to administer the Canada Student Service Grant, and was found to have paid $425,000 to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s family and given preferential treatment due to close ties with former Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

Tam's trip aimed to explore potential partnerships, but the WE Charity's tarnished reputation severely undermines the credibility and wisdom of this collaboration.

WE co-founder Craig Kielburger even went so far as to praise Tam as a "celebrity with murals painted in her honour" in 2020.

This isn't about a parking stub—it's about a public servant who demanded blind faith while dodging accountability and crying wolf.

As Tam exits, we're left with her legacy: a masterclass in entitlement and evasion, cloaked in public health rhetoric. Canadians deserved transparency, not a bureaucrat nickel-and-diming taxpayers.

As Tam exits, Canadians are left to clean up the chaos of her reign. Her replacement must bring transparency and integrity—qualities worth far more than a parking spot fleeced from the public purse.