Evidence of meeting #45 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sir.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Michelle Douglas  Former Chair of the Board of Directors, WE Charity, As an Individual
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Caroline Bosc
Marc Kielburger  Founder, WE Charity
Craig Kielburger  Founder, WE Charity

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

—so it is abuse of language again by this organization.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Mr. Poilievre, we're into debate. It's not a point of order.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

It is a point of order, and it's a necessary one.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

No, it's not. It's a point of debate.

When a member alleges that it's going to net hundreds of millions of dollars, that needs to be cleared up, because we have different information on the record, and I want to know what is fact. That's the purpose of this hearing—

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Yes, paying expenses to themselves—

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

I know that you're really going out of your way here, but I never said that the Kielburger organization was going to be making hundreds of millions. Hundreds of millions were going to flow through their organization, and they were certainly going to get money out of that to cover.... And for a group that was just in financial free fall in March, this is certainly something that could be seen as....

How much they actually get, we don't know, Mr. Chair. That's what we're here to investigate.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Mr. Angus, your exact words were “going to net hundreds of millions of dollars.” I wrote it down. Let's have clarity on the point. That's what I'm asking for. We need to establish the facts.

Gentlemen, if you could establish that, then we will go on to Mr. Cooper, followed by Mr. Fraser, Mr. Cumming and Ms. Koutrakis.

4:05 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Marc Kielburger

I want to be explicitly clear, sir. Once again, this was a contribution agreement. We were not netting hundreds of millions of dollars. That is not correct. Sir, we were doing this as a request from ESDC, and we were only going to be reimbursed for expenses.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Paid to yourself.

4:05 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

No, that's actually not correct, sir—

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

It is correct. It's right in the agreement.

4:05 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

It's absolutely correct. It's right there in writing.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Mr. Poilievre, let's have some order.

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

It's in writing. It's right there in the contribution agreement. Do you want me to get you the section?

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Mr. Poilievre, you're on the list later on, if we get that far.

Craig, if you could answer—

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

You were going to pay the expenses to yourself.

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Mr. Poilievre.

4:05 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

Sir, that's factually incorrect. The contribution agreement—

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

It's section 18.4.

4:05 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

Sir, please—

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

It's right here.

4:05 p.m.

Founder, WE Charity

Craig Kielburger

The contribution agreement defines exactly the eligible expenses, exactly—

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

It says, “the Recipient may enter into contracts to procure goods and services from...WE Charity”—

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Mr. Poilievre, the floor isn't yours.