Madam Chair and members of the committee, I express my gratitude for this invitation, for the commitment to addressing these critical concerns, and for your attention to the ethical evolution of Canadian sport.
I'm here independently. What I mean by that is I do not work for, consult with or get paid by any Canadian sport entity. I'm not affiliated with any Canadian academic institution or organization. I left Canada in 2016, and I reside in The Hague. This is of relevance. There are instances when increased objective scrutiny is necessary. Impartial viewpoints mitigate risks of undue influence and promote fact-based decision-making, free from conflict of interest. Independence helps ensure that opinions are unbiased, fair and just.
I come from the field of risk, investigations and sport integrity. I hold a master's degree in sport ethics and integrity, and I am a Ph.D. researcher in sport governance and anti-corruption.
Many have requested this inquiry—myself included. While some individuals may have valid reasons for opposing, it must also be understood that the existence of conflict of interest may be a reason some actors are in opposition, as certain findings might directly or indirectly impact them.
Moving forward, a lack of integrity and professional capacity may cause sport entities and individuals to reject interference from government or judicial authorities by appealing to sport's autonomy. The autonomy of sport, in many cases, can shield leadership from moral, social and judicial scrutiny, resulting in institutions that are not accountable to anyone.
Madam Chair, a fully independent inquiry is necessary. The government's failure to hold sport entities accountable to higher standards of governance has resulted in significant harm. This is despite numerous instances of the lack of capacity of these sport entities to evolve. The government has a responsibility to ensure public health and safe sport.
I offer three solutions to promote the ethical evolution of Canadian sport, where the integrity of sport governance is a vital pillar.
One, commence independent sport governance audits in the inquiry. Existing sport governance frameworks with global recognition and established history can be used to measure and define future requirements, setting the Canadian standard for expected practice. Accessible, transparent audits hold organizations accountable, measuring their capacity for ethical growth and advancement in the intended direction.
Two, incorporate anonymous athlete and employee feedback in all governance audits. Despite being long-ignored, athletes provide critical insight into vulnerabilities, risks and opportunity. Even if things look perfect on paper, anonymous feedback helps ensure that policy, procedures and people are fit for purpose.
Three, establish conceptual clarity on what independence actually means. Entities around safe sport require independence to be effective. For any entity, here are some things to consider. Is a sport organization funding the entity? Is a sport organization funding an entity involved in any ongoing cases? Does the entity have any obligation to disclose information to a sport organization? Does anyone within the entity have a personal connection? Does anyone within the entity have any history enabling abuse or corruption in sport at any level?
Non-disclosure of negative findings hinders the integrity of investigations, accountability and ethical growth. Independence is essential to prevent conflict of interest and enabling behaviour. Not one current sport entity in Canada can be tasked to oversee this inquiry. It must be outside sport.
I'll close with a research finding from me and colleague Yanei Lezama. Fewer than one in five survivors disclose their incident to a reporting mechanism. Ask me why. This helps conceptualize the institutional enablers that exist in our sport systems. It is poor governance that facilitates the continuation of the abuse of power. This underscores why independence is so important and how even seemingly functioning systems can be insufficient.
Thank you, Madam Chair.