For Immediate Release
January 8, 2007
Liberal Sport Critic Calls on Government to Lobby for Women's Ski Jumping at Vancouver Olympics
OTTAWA -The Conservative Government must heed the call by Canada's Olympic athletes to fight for women's ski jumping at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Liberal Sport Critic Dr. Hedy Fry said today.
"This Conservative government has had almost two years to lobby the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to stop this gender discrimination that disallows women's ski jumping at the Vancouver Olympics, and they did nothing" said Dr. Fry.
"Now the athletes themselves have had to resort to taking the government to court to get the government to act. That's shameful and an embarrassment to Canada," she said.
A group of female ski jumpers have filed a gender discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Commission, arguing that it's against federal and provincial law to spend money on facilities that discriminate. The new Whistler Olympic park where the jumps are located cost Canadian taxpayers $120 million.
Dr. Fry said she originally brought this issue to the attention of the Conservative government almost two years ago, well before the IOC had voted against allowing the women to compete.
"I met with then Minister for Sport Michael Chong in March of 2006, bringing to his attention this issue," said Dr. Fry. "I informed Mr. Chong of this possible decision. He and his senior bureaucrats assured me that they would look into it.
"When the IOC finally made its decision in November 2006, I contacted the new Secretary of State for Sport Helena Guergis asking for an immediate meeting. I waited over five months for that meeting and when it finally occurred, Ms. Guergis was absent. I was again assured that the Secretary of State would deal with the problem. Nothing ever happened."
Dr. Fry noted that because the federal government helped fund Olympic venues, the refusal to allow women ski jumpers to compete is a legal issue, since it is against federal law to spend government money on a facility that discriminates.
"Two years from now we will be celebrating an event that aims to bring people together in peace and respect; we do not want gender discrimination to taint Vancouver's Games," said Dr. Fry.
Dr. Fry pointed to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics as proof that similar changes have been made before, prior to the commencement of Olympic competition.
Deedee Corradini, president of Women's Ski Jumping USA and former mayor of Salt Lake City, told a press conference at the new Vancouver Olympic Park that when she was mayor she successfully pushed to have both women's bobsleigh and skeleton as new events at the Games within a comparable time frame.
"It's not too late for the government to step up to the plate and for once take some leadership," said Dr. Fry.
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Contact:
Office of the Hon. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.
Opposition Critic for Sport and the Vancouver 2010 Olympics
(613) 992-3213
