In the summer, back in August, the Clerk of the Privy Council appeared before the committee. In the course of our discussions pertaining to the WE Charity, I asked him where the idea to use the organization had come from and how the organization had gotten on the government's radar. He told us that it had been at the request of the Prime Minister's Office.
The day the Prime Minister made the public announcement regarding the Canada student service grant program, the WE Charity had already submitted its proposal and practically had the contract in the bag a few hours later.
I asked him how the WE Charity had gotten a hold of the information, and the Clerk of the Privy Council told us that the WE Charity people knew about it because they had been involved in developing the eligibility criteria for the program in conjunction with the people at the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office.
When an architect designs a bridge, is it normal to give the architect the contract to build the bridge as well?