Anne-Marie Robinson

Anne-Marie hopes this series will explain to everyone the motivation behind her new vocation, because she hasn't just taken back her music. She's also regained her ability to develop and influence public policy and new laws.

Anne-Marie hopes this series will explain to everyone the motivation behind her new vocation, because she hasn't just taken back her music. She's also regained her ability to develop and influence public policy and new laws.

Anne Marie has a new job, but this one doesn't come with a salary. It's a passion project, and she's teamed up with Peter Hamer to do it. We're at my place. Archie the Aussie Doodle greets Peter at the door, another dog looking for a cameo performance. Anne Marie's already here. We head inside to catch up.

Anne Marie has a new job, but this one doesn't come with a salary. It's a passion project, and she's teamed up with Peter Hamer to do it. We're at my place. Archie the Aussie Doodle greets Peter at the door, another dog looking for a cameo performance. Anne Marie's already here. We head inside to catch up.

Peter sits down beside Anne-Marie. There's no need for introductions. They found each other a while ago. I followed Peter's journey in the first season of the band Played On. He's a survivor of sexual abuse by a high school music teacher. Anne-Marie heard that podcast and she reached out to Peter.

Peter sits down beside Anne-Marie. There's no need for introductions. They found each other a while ago. I followed Peter's journey in the first season of the band Played On. He's a survivor of sexual abuse by a high school music teacher. Anne-Marie heard that podcast and she reached out to Peter.

They both realized sexual abuse in schools hadn't been eradicated and new risks, online grooming, texting, are changing the landscape.

They both realized sexual abuse in schools hadn't been eradicated and new risks, online grooming, texting, are changing the landscape.

Anne-Marie started to analyze all the regulatory and policy documents she could find. She read the education laws for every province and territory in Canada. And then she searched through academic papers. It all showed huge gaps in protections in every jurisdiction.

Anne-Marie started to analyze all the regulatory and policy documents she could find. She read the education laws for every province and territory in Canada. And then she searched through academic papers. It all showed huge gaps in protections in every jurisdiction.

Anne-Marie and Peter collaborated and started discussions with another group, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. That charitable organization was doing its own work looking at school abuse. The centre found between 2017 and 2021 more than 540 alleged victims had come forward to report sexual abuse in Canadian schools.

Anne-Marie and Peter collaborated and started discussions with another group, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. That charitable organization was doing its own work looking at school abuse. The centre found between 2017 and 2021 more than 540 alleged victims had come forward to report sexual abuse in Canadian schools.

an independent body to investigate reports of abuse by teachers, an office with no conflicts of interest with school boards, unions or governments.

an independent body to investigate reports of abuse by teachers, an office with no conflicts of interest with school boards, unions or governments.

In fact, the province of Manitoba has recently passed a law to create an independent commissioner and develop a disciplinary process to deal with teacher misconduct. It includes an online teacher registry. Other jurisdictions are listening too. It's actually difficult to overstate the impact of Anne-Marie and Peter's group.

In fact, the province of Manitoba has recently passed a law to create an independent commissioner and develop a disciplinary process to deal with teacher misconduct. It includes an online teacher registry. Other jurisdictions are listening too. It's actually difficult to overstate the impact of Anne-Marie and Peter's group.

They have the ear of people in power, and they're talking it up across the country.

They have the ear of people in power, and they're talking it up across the country.

You probably never imagined that you'd be once again really taking deep dives into policy research. No, I thought that I had lost that forever.

You probably never imagined that you'd be once again really taking deep dives into policy research. No, I thought that I had lost that forever.