Evidence of meeting #20 for Declaration of Emergency in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was funds.
A video is available from Parliament.
8:55 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
All right, thank you.
I'll start over from the beginning, Madam Chair.
Mr. Wells, in response to questions from my colleague Mr. Brock, you read out a document that seemed to contain a breakdown of funds raised and their source. You gave us amounts and percentages.
I'd just like you to tell me exactly what information appears in that document.
8:55 p.m.
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
The information on that document is exactly that, just a breakdown of the number of givers, the percentage of the number of givers from each country—the primary country is Canada, and the U.S., and then all others—from an individual standpoint of the number of donors, and then a value standpoint.
8:55 p.m.
Bloc
8:55 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
Thank you. The clerks will contact you regarding that.
Mr. Wells, I understood from your testimony that you weren't in contact with the police at any time regarding the events surrounding the "freedom convoy". Is that correct?
8:55 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
If police officers or government officials had contacted you and requested information on the sources of the funds and the amounts in question, would you have cooperated with the authorities on that matter?
8:55 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
Were you aware of any movements that might be characterized as terrorist or movements aiming to overthrow the Canadian government that might be involved in the fundraising operation you conducted with GiveSendGo?
9 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
As I understand it, the funds that you raised came partly from the United States and partly from Canada, and another, very small part came from other countries. My understanding is that it was people who wanted to contribute to the "freedom convoy" because it claimed to be in favour of individual freedoms. That was the only reason those people contributed to your GiveSendGo campaign. Is that correct?
9 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
What would you have done if you had known that the purpose of some of the activities of the "freedom convoy" was to overthrow the government or to conduct terrorist operations in Canada?
9 p.m.
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
If there was any evidence of any illegal activity being committed by the receivers of the funds, we would have shut it down.
9 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
Thank you very much.
Mr. Wells, in your opening statement, you referenced that the simple mission of GiveSendGo is “to share the hope of Jesus through crowdfunding.” Do you consider your organization or your company to be a Christian organization?
9 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
Do you have any non-profit entities or faith-based groups attached to your company?
9 p.m.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Is that through a faith-based charitable number through the IRS, or is that through a non-profit just registered to your company as a corporation?
9 p.m.
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
Currently it's through a faith-based...but it's becoming through a non-profit organization.