(Ottawa) The Bloc Québécois is relaunching with even greater insistence its call for the launch of a public commission of inquiry in the wake of the allegations of espionage that have tarnished the Canadian Olympic soccer delegation.
On the other end of the line, Bloc Québécois MP Sébastien Lemire expressed his dismay in reaction to the revelations of the last few days. The Soccer Canada organization betrayed the athletes, and “this significantly tarnishes the successes that the men’s and women’s soccer teams have had,” he said.
“It makes me very sad, because it’s the athletes who have had exceptional performances who find themselves in the shadows,” continues the elected official, who participated in the study by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on abuse in sports.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Bloc Québécois MP Sébastien Lemire
It is therefore necessary to “shed light” on this story, argues Sébastien Lemire. “The scandal we are experiencing today, and we will see the extent of it, reminds me a little of the cheating with Ben Johnson with steroids,” he argues, as did columnist Alexandre Pratt.
“What did we do at the time? We launched an independent commission of inquiry […] and from there, there were changes, and Canada became a leader on the international scene, particularly in the fight against doping,” continued the Bloc Québécois representative.
Rather than shirking its responsibilities, Canada must therefore show humility and “show its credentials,” he believes.
Former federal sports minister Pascale St-Onge had promised to set up a public inquiry into abuses in sport. Her successor, Carla Qualtrough, however, opted for a different formula: a commission without the power to enforce.
On the X network, Minister Qualtrough had these words to describe the scandal: “The coaching staff of the national women’s team has crossed the line. This is completely unacceptable. Canadians expect much more from you and the athletes deserve much better.”
His office declined an interview request from The PressFriday, citing “scheduling” issues.
The minister is in Paris to encourage the Canadian delegation.