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.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
That is a helpful practice. I would encourage members to undertake to direct their questions and their answers to the chair.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Okay, so I'll just simply ask: Don't you think you would have saved yourselves a lot of trouble if you had simply registered to lobby with your director of government relations, with the manager of government relations and with you, Craig, handling all the negotiations with your chief of staff paid for by WE Charity? Don't you think, through the Chair, that it would have been just a lot better to register to lobby?
Founder, WE Charity
Mr. Chair, we've shared with Mr. Angus that WE would have been open to registering to lobby at any point, but volunteers cannot register to lobby.
Mr. Chair, the challenge we have here is that Mr. Angus has said many false statements during his remarks. For the context of the committee, to help Mr. Angus with his false statements, we've posted 101 false statements that Mr. Angus has shared on our website, and we invite you—
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Sorry, Chair. I know they get very upset when anyone else uses Twitter, but the fact that they made all their claims on their website is irrelevant to the question, which is about the Lobbying Act and the fact that they've set this organization up, that it was Bill Morneau who Craig Kielburger contacted and that it was Bill Morneau's daughter they hired. They promoted the other daughter with her book on their stage. They paid $41,000 to fly them around the world.
These were personal connections, so when they needed money, he does not deal with the Finance Department, he goes directly to the finance minister of a G7 country and calls him by his first name. That is lobbying. It's lobbying. They might think they're besties, but it's lobbying, and I want [Technical difficulty--Editor] that they're just these volunteers of an organization, that they make all the decisions and that they handle.... In fact, the director of lobbying for WE said that she wasn't even involved in the negotiations with Bill Morneau; it was Craig Kielburger.
So come on, Craig, why didn't you register to lobby, because you are the main lobbyist for the group?
Founder, WE Charity
Mr. Angus, I won't even seek to correct the number of inaccurate statements you've made there.
I will simply point out again that it is literally not legally possible for me as a volunteer to register.
NDP
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
The charity pays your chief of staff but because you're on the ME to WE side, you're saying that means you're not legally able to lobby.
I don't know where you guys come up with these laws. They're fascinating, but maybe Guy Giorno knows all the loopholes. Maybe that's why you've got him on retainer. Maybe he'll help you, but come on, it doesn't pass the smell test.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Brenda Shanahan
I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Angus. Apparently we have lost the chair.
I just want to check with the clerk as to what time we are operating at. If the clerk can text me, then I will be on the same page. As members know, as the vice-chair, I must take on this role.
Clerk?
Founder, WE Charity
Allow me to offer, sir, because we can't register ourselves, we have proactively put on—
Liberal
Conservative
Founder, WE Charity
Again, as we said, we do understand Mr. Angus' letter, and we anticipate—
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
No. I want my question. Have either of you been contacted by the RCMP?
Founder, WE Charity
We've previously spoken on this matter. You can keep asking as often as you like.
Conservative
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
No, you haven't. You said you hadn't been contacted about Mr. Angus' letter. Have you been contacted by the RCMP for any other purpose? Yes or no?
Founder, WE Charity
We have not been contacted by the RCMP. We understand Mr. Angus has put a letter in the public domain.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Have you been contacted by the Office of the Ethics Commissioner?