Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good afternoon, members of the committee.
This is the first time I have appeared before your committee in my capacity as minister, although I would have preferred to do so in different circumstances. I would nevertheless like to thank you for the opportunity to give you my perspective on this situation.
I must say at the outset that I was deeply shocked by this affair. I wholly share the indignation Canadians feel as a result of it, and my thoughts are first and foremost with the alleged victim.
What we learned on Thursday, May 26, rightly shook the entire country. Apart from the indignation we feel, we have some serious questions about the significance of that incident.
This is a sadly troubling example of sexual violence based on gender and a culture of silence. That culture shields individuals who face allegations of appalling behaviour from accountability for their actions. In the meantime, the victims bear a heavy burden for the rest of their lives. This culture of silence hasn't emerged on its own; it is fostered by the choices made by officials and individuals in leadership positions in sports organizations.
Madam Chair, after everything we have lived through in recent years, particularly with the #MeToo Movement, this type of culture must no longer be tolerated. Given the facts reported by the media, we may well wonder why this organization chose not to send out a clear message of zero tolerance of sexual misconduct.
There is no question that the right of the victim to privacy in this case is absolutely paramount and must be protected. Too often, those who come forward with their experiences of sexual abuse are revictimized in the very system that is there to protect them. This is a powerful reason why so many remain silent.
It is the responsibility of our leaders in sport and society to condemn this type of behaviour. They must also make every possible effort to prevent sexual violence in the clubs, teams and events that they run and for which they set the code of conduct and rules of engagement. Abusers and those who are complicit must be held accountable for their actions—or lack thereof. Zero tolerance for maltreatment and abuse in sport is the only option.
All those in positions of leadership and authority must help put an end to the trivialization of sexual violence. I hope that everyone listening to us today hears that message and that they will join in our collective effort to put an end to this type of violence.
Since 2018, under the contribution agreements with Sport Canada, the sport organizations that we fund have had a responsibility to report assault and maltreatment cases to us. This enables Sport Canada to perform two tasks: first, to ensure that the organization in question has established and enforces policies on maltreatment and, second, to verify that complainants have access to an independent third party to review complaints and conduct investigations or that they are directed to the competent authorities. Under this protocol, Hockey Canada reported the incident to Sport Canada, which ensured that both of those tasks had been completed. You will therefore understand our consternation when, four years later, we learned the actual turn of events.
On May 24 of this year, two days after the article on the incident was published, I received a call from Tom Renney, the president of Hockey Canada, informing me that the media would be reporting a story about sexual assault allegations involving hockey players dating back to 2018. Mr. Renney told me that an out‑of‑court settlement had been reached and concluded by telling me that he was prevented by a confidentiality agreement from providing me with any further information. I therefore learned the details of this sordid affair at the same time as other Canadians.
I would also like to note that, as Minister of Sport, my connection with sport organizations is mainly financial. I have therefore requested that an audit be conducted to ensure that no public funds were used in this sad affair. I have read Hockey Canada's statement on the matter but nevertheless feel we must work together to get to the bottom of it. I want to assure you of my full and wholehearted cooperation.
It's not unreasonable now to imagine that many of the eight players subject to these gang rape allegations enjoy lucrative professional careers. What message does that send to our young men, daughters, parents and sports fans?
I think the professional sport community has some soul-searching to do. Amateur and professional leagues alike must conduct themselves as responsible corporate citizens. The officials in those leagues, who have an enormous audience and considerable social influence, must send a clear message about responsibility and zero tolerance for sexual violence.
I would also like to add that this sport gradually occupies a larger part of players' lives as they move on to careers in the professional ranks. In my view, the people supporting these young players and the organizations themselves have a responsibility to supervise the players adequately, particularly with regard to issues of consent and toxic sexual behaviour.
Members of the committee, this is why your work today is so important. This is a key moment for sport, in all respects. Major efforts are now being made to effect a cultural change in which toxic behaviour and assault have no place.
I recently announced measures to increase accountability and promote better governance in the sport organizations that we fund. In our last budget, we allocated $16 million to establish the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, an independent mechanism that athletes and organizations have called for to handle complaints.
We will continue to work hard to make our sports safe, but those efforts must also be supported by those in leadership positions in all aspects of sport. We can no longer tolerate incidents like the one that shocked us on May 26. It can't happen again.
Thank you.
I'm now ready to answer your questions.
