Kirsty Duncan says she was told to pivot from safe sport crisis, calls for inquiry
Global News
Duncan announced on Jan. 26 that should would be taking a medical leave, but would remain as an MP. She called for an inquiry into Canada's safe sport crisis the next day.
Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan told a committee of MPs that when her time as sport minister ended in 2019, she had been told the role needed to “get back to what sport was really about” after she asked about plans for tackling safe sport reform.
Duncan spoke before the standing committee on Canadian heritage, and answered questions from her fellow MPs about why it appeared the government was not embracing the idea for an inquiry, as well as her exit from the role in 2019.
“At that time I did ask what we would be doing on safe sport going forward, and I was told that we had to get back to what sport was really about. I said, ‘So not protecting children,'” she told MPs.
She added that while there appeared to be some momentum building for action on safe sport by athletes testifying before the committee, there has also been the presence of “absolute resistance to moving forward on safe sport initiatives,” specifically by sporting bodies.
In addition to resistance to a national help line, she said there was pushback to a third-party investigator.
The Etobicoke North MP served as Minister of Science and Sport from 2015 to 2019.
Sport Canada is overseen by the federal Canadian Heritage ministry.
In calling for a national public inquiry, Duncan said following past testimony by athletes, action needs to happen now.