Evidence of meeting #41 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was volunteer.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
I asked numerous questions for options, and after the public service did their due diligence, it was a recommendation that WE Charity was the organization, the only organization, that could deliver the program in the timeline needed to the scale that we desired.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
How was the decision to award WE Charity to implement this program taken, if no other organizations were presented as options?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
Mr. Chair, I think it's also important to acknowledge that we are in an unprecedented and challenging time with the pandemic. We know that all countries are facing challenges. It's something we've never had to address, including the public service. The public service, I'm confident, did their due diligence and made a recommendation. I accepted their recommendation—
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Did you discuss awarding this program to—
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Equal time, Chair...?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
You're getting equal time. I'm watching the time very closely, but it makes it a lot more difficult when members interrupt. It takes time away. I'll give you the time back while I was speaking.
Go ahead with your question.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Did you discuss awarding this program to WE with Prime Minister Trudeau or Minister Bill Morneau?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
I personally did not have those conversations. I had those conversations with departmental officials. As for what options were available and why this recommendation was coming forward, we were—
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Did you discuss the program with anyone at WE before discussing it at cabinet?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
I did not discuss this program, the CSSG program, with anyone at WE.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Did anyone in your office discuss the program with WE before you discussed it at cabinet?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
Once again, Mr. Chair, we wanted students to have service opportunities. We knew that not-for-profits had increased demands for their services.
It's something that we turned over to the public service. The public service was able to take the vision and then make a recommendation. I'm confident they did their due diligence. They made a recommendation. I accepted the recommendation.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
What are the names of the individuals who negotiated the termination of this agreement?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
I was just referring to my deputy as to our being able to provide the member with a substantial answer.
Those are questions that Ms. Wernick and Ms. Wilson will be able to answer in the next panel.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Okay. Thank you.
Sorry, Mr. Barrett. We're out of time.
We're turning, then, to Annie Koutrakis. This will be the last questioner before the minister has to leave.
Ms. Koutrakis.
Liberal
Annie Koutrakis Liberal Vimy, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to begin by commending the Ministry of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, as well as the public servants at ESDC and the Department of Canadian Heritage, for their work in designing the CSSG. This is truly an innovative program, and I can only imagine the considerable creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking by everyone who was involved in this.
At a time when charities are struggling like never before, a program like this is essential. The $900 million in student grants would have translated into roughly 90 million hours of volunteer work and would undeniably have helped charities close the front-line service gap that currently exists.
Additionally, the maximum of $43 million in administrative costs to compensate the WE Charity, if all $900 million had been distributed, would have represented less than 5% of the total program costs, which, in my opinion, would have been well within the norm of project management and administrative fees for such programs, especially given the tight timelines.
Minister Chagger, can you highlight the intentions and objectives of the CSSG? With over 35,000 applicants, how effective was the program in encouraging volunteerism at a time when so many charities and communities are struggling with donations, which are down by about 50%?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
I thank the member for the acknowledgement of the very challenging and unprecedented time we all find ourselves in. The public service, just like the government and all members of Parliament, has been working around the clock, as have Canadians.
This was really another program within the suite of programs that we put forward for students and youth. We know that COVID-19 has impacted all Canadians and has disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable, and youth are no exception. We know that young people have been rolling up their sleeves and giving back to communities to help heal communities during this challenging time. This was really about ensuring that young people, students, were being rewarded for meeting service opportunities, not only within their communities but also within others by a virtual platform, thus helping heal their own communities and others virtually.
When we launched the program, there was immediately massive demand for it. We saw 35,000 applications submitted by students who wanted to participate. The conversations continue. Students want to see this program delivered. Not-for-profits want the support. That's why I am committed to seeing this program delivered.
Our focus remains on Canadians. Our focus remains on vulnerable Canadians. That's exactly why, when the contribution agreement was negotiated, we ensured that we were collecting disaggregated data so that the most vulnerable in our society would have an opportunity to give back and heal communities.
This is a very innovative program. Volunteers, as we know, from coast to coast to coast, are instrumental in the work that not-for-profits do. They should not go unrecognized. This was one way of not only thanking them for their service, but rewarding students. We know that the financial burden on them, come their post-secondary education costs in the fall, would be high. We just were providing a grant to help them out during this very challenging time.
Liberal
Annie Koutrakis Liberal Vimy, QC
How common is it, Minister Chagger, for third party organizations to work alongside the federal government when delivering programs such as this? What are the benefits that are created by these partnerships?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
It is not uncommon for the Government of Canada to work with third parties to deliver specialized programs, and working with third party delivery agents to deliver emergency funding throughout the pandemic has proven to be an effective approach.
We partnered with the United Way in May to deliver the emergency community support fund to support vulnerable populations. We partnered with Food Banks Canada to fight food insecurity. Officials recommended that we work with a third party to administer the CSSG and that the third party be WE Charity, given their extensive reach with students and their capacity as an organization to deliver this program within the timeline needed.
We've been acting and working very quickly to ensure that we're responding to the needs and challenges that Canadians are facing.
Liberal
Annie Koutrakis Liberal Vimy, QC
I just have some final thoughts. I want to commend the public service and the work that you're doing, Minister Chagger. I know all Canadians are looking to find ways to help one another. I could not be more proud of the work that our government has tried to do in such a short timeline to make sure that everybody who needs the help is there.
We were not looking for perfection. We were looking to be effective and to get the help out there that we need. Perhaps things could have been done differently along the way, but I think what was intended with this program is there for everybody to see. I hope that we go forward with it and it helps the young people, as it should.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Minister, do you have any final thoughts, you or your deputy? Do you want to answer that comment?
Liberal
Bardish Chagger Liberal Waterloo, ON
I will share my time with my deputy and provide her an opportunity as well.
I echo the comments that were just shared. This has been, really, about all Canadians working together and stepping up, all members of Parliament, all parties and all levels of government, because all of us are in this together to ensure that we fight this pandemic. The health and safety of Canadians has always been our priority. It remains my priority, and I'm confident that this is the goal of everyone, because we want to succeed.
I believe that, when it comes to this program, it was in response to a direct need that we were hearing from Canadians from coast to coast to coast, including not-for-profits, which do very important work. I think it's important that we recognize the work of volunteers, especially young people who have been stepping up, and this is one way to provide a grant and a reward to appreciate them during this very challenging time. A lot has been taken away from individuals because of this pandemic, and youth are no exception.