We're almost 14 hours into this debate, and we've heard from members around the table again and again. This morning, there were new documents released by the WE organization, and I unfortunately didn't have time to review them. I had announced yesterday that I would be speaking at 9:15 this morning, and at 9:15 those documents were released. I haven't had an opportunity to review them, as I was engaged at that time, though I did receive questions on them during that press conference.
Interestingly, though I haven't made it all the way through them, one of the points that's been highlighted in these documents is that the WE organization identifies Ms. Margaret Trudeau as having spoken at 28 events and being paid for attending 27 events. This contradicts a previous release of theirs in July when they stated that Ms. Margaret Trudeau had been paid for 28 events. This adds more urgency for us to see the documents that were previously ordered by this committee and that we're looking to order again today. The challenge that we've had as a committee, and as parliamentarians who have seen multiple committees initiate hearings on this—including the government operations, official languages and finance committees, as well as our committee—is that we've received multiple answers that differ in the facts that have been provided.
Today's release from the WE organization highlights that again. The information that's requested in these documents would expose the named individuals to no risk or breach of their privacy, and is imperative. Parliamentarians have undertaken inquiries to determine if there is.... We've now been told that half a million dollars in fees were paid to members of the Trudeau family, versus being told initially that no were fees were paid to members of the Trudeau family. That initial contradiction was a very important one. Then that organization received a half a billion dollar contribution agreement to administer, for the government...and it would have benefited to the tune of tens of millions of dollars as an organization for doing so. The proposal they presented to the government was created by them, and we've heard that it's only this organization, the WE organization, that could administer it. Well, they wrote it: of course they were the only ones who could administer it.
The proposal to cabinet included pictures of these very people whom we've named in our motion today. What does the relationship between the Prime Minister's family members and the WE organization, which was paying them huge sums of money, have to do with the awarding of this contribution agreement? Well, it's important that we get all of the details, the full details. We need to verify the information that's been presented. Was there a conflict of interest? Was there pressure? Was there interference? These are the questions that we need to answer. After nearly 13 hours of filibustering at this committee by the Liberal members, it's important to note that the need for the information hasn't changed. In fact, the release of documents this morning by the WE organization only adds to the need for clarity, the need for verification of the sums, the dates and the figures that have been offered to us to this point.
It's true that we 're in the midst of a global pandemic and that the lives and the livelihood of Canadians can be impacted and truly improved by the actions that members of Parliament take, but when we have parliamentary committees.... It's not just the finance committee that's dealing with a question of privilege or the illegal redaction of documents, and it's not just this committee, which previously ordered these documents to committee and was stopped a day short by Parliament's being prorogued.
We're also seeing at other parliamentary committees government members filibustering and blocking and preventing members from doing their work, even on COVID-related matters. It's imperative that we get this information so that we can make a determination on the scope of further work that this committee needs to do. It was at the first meeting of this committee that this motion was raised, and we're in our fourth meeting, nearly 14 hours in, and members of the Liberal Party are unwilling to vote on the motion. I would invite members, all members, to consider that we have an opportunity to put forward business that can address the needs and concerns of Canadians, while concurrently reviewing the information as it relates to the WE scandal. We can do that starting this morning.
Mr. Chair, I would ask you if you could poll the committee to see if there is consensus for us to take a vote.
I see Liberal members shaking their heads already, so the filibuster will continue, Mr. Chair, but I think that with the new documents we've seen this morning, it's very clear that we as members have to review these documents.
Chair, I, along with members of the official opposition, remain ready to vote before we crest the 14th hour of this filibuster.