Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge said there was no transparency in the body yesterday after The Globe and Mail reported that Hockey Canada put player registration fees toward a fund "for matters including but not limited to sexual abuse", according to documents.

Previously it was revealed that the National Equity Fund was also used to settle sexual misconduct claims.

"I think it shows a total lack of transparency," said St-Onge according to the Canadian Press.

"And the other thing it shows is that sexual violence has been treated as an insurance problem at Hockey Canada instead of a systemic problem that needs to be addressed at the root of the problem."

Hockey Canada has paid CAD8.9 million (£5.7 million/$6.9 million/€6.7 million) across 21 settlements for claims of sexual assault since 1989, the organisation told Canada's Parliament.

St-Onge said the people at the top had to resign.

"Anything that should happen with Hockey Canada from now on should happen with new leadership," she added.

"I don't see how they can rebuild trust having the same people that didn't do enough in the past decades."

Allegations continue to circle around the 2003 and 2018 men's junior ice hockey teams, in which several players have been accused of sexual assault against women while on international duty.