Liberal, Bloc MPs vote against questioning Canada Soccer officials over drone scandal

A parliamentary committee will not question the coaches of the national women's soccer team about the Paris Olympics cheating scandal, after Liberal and Bloc Quebecois MPs voted against launching a study on Monday.

The team was penalized during the Olympics this summer for cheating by taking drone footage of an opponent's practice.

NDP MP Niki Ashton put forward a motion at the House of Commons heritage committee to study what role officials from the team and Canada Soccer played in the scandal.

Ashton wanted to hear from suspended head coach Bev Priestman, former head coach John Herdman, analyst Joseph Lombardi, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer's CEO.

Ashton said the scandal damaged Canada's reputation and there are still questions that need to be answered.

"It's important for parliamentarians, on behalf of Canadians, to seek some accountability and ensure that we are truly supporting our athletes, especially as we gear up for co-hosting the World Cup in 2026," she told the committee.

Six MPs from the Bloc and the Liberals voted down the motion, while five MPs from the Conservatives and the NDP voted in favour.

Ashton said she's very disappointed that the study won't happen.

"This is a Liberal-Bloc cover up," she said. "Canadians have a lot of questions about what is happening, how deep this mess goes and what it will take to fix it."

NDP MP calls for committee hearing to investigate Canada Soccer drone scandal

Ashton said Canada does not need to have any lingering questions about its ethics ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough, who is not on the committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did Martin Champoux, the Bloc committee member who voted