One of the primary steps that, hopefully, can be taken is putting anti-SLAPP type of legislation into place, or protections into place so that survivors are able to act as whistle-blowers without fear of retaliation, without fear of being left unprotected when their abusers come after them, and without fear of having to forfeit their point system and their careers. Protections should be put in place to allow survivors to speak up, and to do so safely.
Honestly, again, the most important thing that anybody can do is look at how we communicate on issues of abuse when the message is.... I really appreciated the most recent questions asking, “What do you think about the money being returned to Hockey Canada?” There really hasn't been transparency there. When that type of action is taken, when any type of action is taken, it is a communication. It is a value statement.
When you have communications taking place, and actions taking place, that are making value statements, we're not going to require transparency. We are not going to require honesty and accountability. We are not going to require proper diagnostics. When that is taking place, what the government is essentially saying is that it matters, but not actually. We don't like child abuse, but we don't not like it enough to say, “Hey, we are not going to fund these systems while they are harming our athletes and children.”
The most important thing that leadership can do is communicate very clearly in words and actions that this matters, that we are going to find the truth and we are going to tell it. We are going to use whatever resources are at our disposal to make it safe for those athletes and children to come forward, so that we can find out what has happened to them.
What we say and do is a communication on our values.