A parliamentary committee will not summon coaches of the women’s national soccer team over the Paris Olympics cheating scandal .
Liberal and Bloc Québécois MPs on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage rejected a parliamentary review of the matter by a vote of six to five on Monday.
The women’s team was penalized this summer during the Paris Olympics for cheating by filming an opposing team’s training session by drone .
NDP MP Niki Ashton then introduced a motion in the Commons committee to study the role of the team’s leaders and Soccer Canada in the scandal.
MP Ashton wanted to hear from suspended head coach Bev Priestman, former head coach John Herdman, analyst Joseph Lombardi, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and the CEO of Canada Soccer.
MP Ashton argued that the scandal had damaged Canada’s reputation and that questions remained unanswered.
“It is important that parliamentarians, on behalf of Canadians, demand accountability and ensure that we truly support our athletes, especially as we prepare to co-host the World Cup in 2026,” she told the committee.
The five Liberal MPs and the Bloc Québécois member on the committee voted against the motion, while the four Conservative MPs and the New Democrat voted in favour.
Ashton said in an interview that she was very disappointed that the parliamentary review was not happening. “This is a cover-up by the Liberals and the Bloc,” she said. “Canadians have a lot of questions about what’s going on, how big this mess is and what it’s going to take to fix it.”
Ashton believes Canada should be able to show its ethical credentials before the 2026 World Cup.
Federal Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough, who is not on the committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bloc Québécois member Martin Champoux, vice-chair of the committee, who voted against the motion, explained in an email that an independent external investigation into the scandal was already underway.
Canada Soccer announced its intention to conduct the investigation on July 24 and promised that its findings would be made public.
Analyst Joseph Lombardi was arrested in Paris after authorities captured a drone flying over New Zealand’s women’s team during their training three days before they face Canada at the Olympics.
The Canadian team was stripped of six points by the International Federation during the group stage of the Games. Canada Soccer was fined approximately $313,000, and Priestman , Lombardi and Mander were suspended for one year.
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