Evidence of meeting #24 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Marc Kielburger  Founder, WE Charity
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Miriam Burke
Craig Kielburger  Founder, WE Charity

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

That will be the last question there on this round, Mr. Angus.

5:25 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Thank you.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Mr. Kielburger, we'll turn to you.

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

To our tens of thousands of donors over the years, the projects have gone to where they're supposed to. We have done our best, and we're grateful because the money got to the kids, as it is supposed to. In that, it has changed lives, millions of lives, and we're grateful to each and every one of our donors.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

We'll turn to—

5:25 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

And Mr. Cowan's plaque?

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

We'll turn to Mr. Carrie, and he'll be splitting his time with Mr. Poilievre.

Mr. Carrie.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Given the statements made in WEconomy, it's clear that WE Charity conducted a survey that collected data on voting in the 2011 federal election.

My question is, how did you receive the contact information of these WE alumnae, when many of them would have been underaged kids at the time of the WE Day they attended? I'm curious as to how the data was collected, and by whom. Did you ever contract your data analysis with any third parties that also might do data analysis for political parties, such as Data Sciences, for example?

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

To the honourable member, the short answer is no on the Data Sciences, or any associated group that would do political data analysis. That was part of [Technical difficulty--Editor] university called Mission Measurement. They ask young people if, because of the program, they're more likely to do many things, including vote, volunteer or give to charity. We never discussed it at the time of asking. We never asked who they voted for. We had no interest in that information.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

All right.

Will you provide to the committee a copy of the report that Mission Measurement, LLC provided to WE Charity on the project, that Free the Children alumni study?

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

Absolutely. In fact, we're very proud of the outcomes. More than 80% of our youth alumni continue to volunteer, 79% voted in the last federal election and I believe 83% continue to give to charity. It's such a shame that's coming to an end, those programs in Canadian schools—

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

Did you share that report with any other third parties?

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

Yes, absolutely. It's actually on our website, so anyone can look at the report.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

I was looking for it. I didn't see it.

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

We'll send it to you.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

What measures do you use to control the use of WE Charity data and for youth that may have signed up for the WE events, because these WE events, they're looked after by ME to WE, right? Then the charity is a separate thing altogether. How do you control this data that's collected by either the charity or ME to WE?

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

All the WE Day events were of course part of WE Charity. It was part of that initiative through the WE Charity and the WE schools initiative. We have a very robust system. We haven't shared that data with anybody, including political parties, and followed proper processes and protocols.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

You can guarantee that data was not shared with any provincial or federal political party?

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

You can do that—

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin

Thank you, Mr. Carrie.

We'll turn to Mr. Poilievre.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

What was the name of the assistant who you claim wrote your e-mail to—through LinkedIn—Mr. Ben Chin?

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

Mr. Poilievre, I've gotten death threats. Our staff has gotten death threats. The speaking bureau has gotten death threats. I am not naming another employee—especially a former executive assistant—to you, sir.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

We will be asking for it to be handed over to the committee, and we can keep that information from the public, but I want to find out if this person actually exists. Do you commit to giving that person's name to the committee?

5:25 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

With the permission of that person and the conversations that unfold, we'll get back to you on that one. That's a private matter.