Thank you, Mr. Lemire.
Again, I want to thank you for your efforts. I want to thank everyone at this committee for their efforts.
I think the hardest thing, back in 2018, was literally drawing a line in the sand and starting a new conversation in this country about safe sport. This had been a taboo subject for many years. To start that conversation and to say that the days of hear no evil, see no evil were over....
I'm going to take you back to October of 2017. The #MeToo movement was making headlines around the world. In January of 2018, the U.S.A. gymnastics team's Larry Nassar received an effective life sentence after abusing over 150 gymnastics over two decades. I was appointed minister a month later. I did receive surprise that I was going to tackle safe sport. There was push-back.
As I said, I couldn't have come from the background I come from, with what I have witnessed and having spent my life protecting children, without starting that conversation. I think what your committee has done is that you have raised this conversation to the national level. I think the time is right to have this national public inquiry.
Thank you, Mr. Lemire.