Evidence of meeting #26 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 know.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
But you did have those conversations and questions, Mr. Poilievre—
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Thank you. Thank you. You said no, that no public servant raised concerns about potential integrity. Well, here I quote from the Treasury Board Secretariat:
Furthermore, the tracking of hours by a third-party could be challenging and result in potential integrity concerns should the students not be honest about hours accrued.
Again, you testify to something, and I present to you, in real time, contradictions to what you say, so how is it that you're the minister responsible for this file and you can't answer the most basic questions accurately?
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Poilievre, maybe it's because you just want to hear some answers and you don't like some of the answers and then you say that they're no good, but the answer doesn't depend upon whether you like it or not. An answer is an answer, and you know me. You have known me for a long time. You know I always—
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Okay, we'll go to the next question, then. Did Rick Theis—
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Good, let's get to it, then.
Did Rick Theis suggest that the WE organization might need more funds? Did he tell public—
Liberal
Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Chair, I'd like to ask you how much time there was for this round. I have 3 minutes and 38 seconds on my clock.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
That's why I haven't called the time yet. It's a five-minute round.
Thank you, Mr. Fergus.
Liberal
Conservative
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Theis is the Prime Minister's cabinet director. He spoke to public servants about this program. Did he suggest that WE might need more funds than the public servants originally suggested, yes or no?
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
No, not that I know of, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair, when it comes to the—
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Thank you. Thank you for that direct answer. I appreciate it.
If I can follow up—
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
—meeting of the ethics committee, we both heard directly from the—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris Warkentin
Mr. Poilievre, I think we're going to give Mr. Rodriguez the opportunity to answer.
Mr. Rodriguez.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
It's important to mention, Mr. Chair, that the finance committee and the ethics committee have both heard directly from the non-partisan public servants—
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
—who are responsible for this program, and no one raised flags about—
Conservative
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Yes, it does.
No one raised flags about WE Charity's finances and resources. No one.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Right.
I have here a call log. You just said that Mr. Theis, top adviser to the Prime Minister, did not suggest there might be a need for more funds. In fact, on May 25, in a call he had with senior officials at Finance and Employment, he said, and I quote here, “Potential for a second wave - but will need more funding to do that.”
He's suggesting that the WE organization might need more funding than the officials were originally recommending.
Again, it's exactly the opposite of what you just testified. Why do you keep testifying the opposite of what the documents your own government has released say?
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Poilievre, you're suggesting things that you think he's suggesting, right?