Canada Hockey | “It takes resignations,” says Minister Saint Ong

I say it clearly: it takes resignations. I don’t think it’s possible to rebuild trust in Hockey Canada, and then in the organization, with the same people who allowed this system to exist.”^I St-Onge in the lobby of the House of Commons.

According to the minister, the driving problems in Hockey Canada are “enormous” and the revelations that keep emerging every week prove it.

However, Minister Saint Ong said on Monday she was reluctant to conduct an independent investigation because there are “already several investigations underway,” citing the financial audit, the National Hockey League, local police investigations and work on the Standing Committee on Canada. legacy.

“So all of this is going to produce results, then we’ll see from that what the next steps are,” she argued.

” Outside ! ”

However, the House of Commons has voted unanimously in recent months in favor of a motion calling for an independent investigation into the way Hockey Club Canada handles complaints of sexual assault, sexual harassment and other types of reported misconduct, according to Block Sports. Spokesperson Sebastian Lemmer.

Mr. Lemmer explained that we have to change the culture of the sport “in depth”. Et bien que, comme d’autres députés, l’élu bloquiste ait peiné à dire quelles sanctions pourraient être imposées à Hockey Canada, un organisme indépendant dont la direction s’accroche, il a admis: « Notre travail de maintenir c’est the pressure. »

According to Bloc Québécois, change is needed in the top management and the board of directors. “We have to clear the record […] Because trust no longer exists,” Mr. Lemmer summed up.

Same story with conservatives. Representative Richard Martel did not leave when he arrived in Parliament.

And who will kick them out if they are independent? What exactly should Minister Saint Aung do? He replied, “The Minister, she has powers, she can regulate certain things.” We’ll look at this everyone together and need clearer action than there is currently. »

The New Democratic Party, for its part, has sent a letter to the government asking it to “assume its responsibilities” and audit Hockey Canada’s financial statements in order to “get to the heart of the matter” about the use of the funds, according to the MP. Peter Julian.

“I think everyone […] Said about Hockey Canada’s manager.

But Scott Smith, president of Hockey Canada, made clear in heated testimony before the Canadian Heritage Committee in late July that he had no intention of quitting his job. The Federation’s Board of Directors later announced its support for him and his management team.

For his part, Chairman Michael Brindmore submitted his resignation in early August, before the end of his term in November, saying that “there is no point in waiting before the start of a new era.”

Mr. Brind’Amour will appear before the Canadian Heritage Committee on Tuesday, as will the interim Chairman of the Board, Andrea Skinner.

One scandal doesn’t wait for the other

The organization continues to grab the headlines. The series began in June when TSN revealed that a woman allegedly sexually assaulted by eight Canadian Hockey League players after the Canada Hockey League in June 2018 dropped a lawsuit after reaching a friendly match settlement.

The organization’s leaders participated in a presentation before a parliamentary committee at the end of last June, and elected officials discovered that no participating players had been named. Then Minister St-Onge announced that funding for the organization would be frozen and ordered an audit.

Weeks later, The Canadian Press revealed that Hockey Canada kept a fund to pay sexual assault claims, earning its executives another term on the parliamentary committee, where they said they had reached nine more settlements since 1989 in sexual misconduct cases.

Then, in September, elected officials denounced a survey distributed by Hockey Canada that would have asked parents to determine whether they considered the level of media exaggerated criticism of allegations of sexual assault tainted the organization.