Hockey Canada (HC) has not been transparent with the parliamentary committee about sexual assault allegations and payouts, according to a review by former Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell..The review found HC made misleading and inaccurate public statements in the past few months..HC is in the hot seat again on Tuesday for further parliamentary committee hearings, involving the 2018 national junior team and how it handled an alleged sexual assault..Liberal MP Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal) sits on the committee and said that these hearings have been unusually combative. . Hockey Canada White JerseyHockey Canada White Jersey .“For those people who are watching these hearings, parliamentarians normally do not question witnesses at committees like this. At least I don’t,” said Housefather. .“This is a very different situation, which seems to be more one where you have a hostile witness in a courtroom and you have to try to gain the ability to get some information that they’re not trying to share with you.”.Cromwell’s review raised new questions about the accuracy of HC’s public statements about the allegations..HC’s National Equity Fund (NEE), which is funded by player registration fees, was found to not cover health and wellness programs such as “counselling and treatment for players.”.The NEE was used to keep sexual assault complaints outside of the court system without telling parents and players the real purpose of the fund..HC has another fund for sexual assault payouts called the Participants Legacy Trust Fund, which HC denied during the October committee meetings..Housefather asked Andrea Skinner, former interim HC board chair, if HC had any other funds used to payout sexual assault complaints at the October meeting..Skinner denied any third or more funds. . Andrea Skinner .“They misled,” said Housefather..“I asked Skinner directly, is there any other fund? There are two funds that we now know about, is there a third fund? And she said there was not. But there was.”.NDP MP Peter Julian (New Westminster Burnaby) said the public needs HC to be transparent and honest during future committee meetings..“There just needs to be transparency and honesty and integrity in the answers that are provided, and I think it’s fair to say there is a skepticism throughout the committee that we’ll get that,” said Julian..Last month, Skinner resigned, and CEO Scott Smith and the board stepped down..Tuesday’s hearings include testimony from HC’s former CEO Bob Nicholson and HC Senior Vice President of Strategy, Operations, and Brand Pat McLaughlin.
