Finance Committee on July 28th, 2020

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

But you're getting lots of money from it.

The YMCA registers to lobby. The Heart and Stroke Foundation does too. They don't get nearly the kind of money that you guys have gotten. The registry of lobbyists is full of charities, except your organization; yet none of them hires, for example, the Prime Minister's mother or the Prime Minister's brother, or have the Prime Minister's wife or Bill Morneau's daughter, or fly Bill Morneau....

The image that you're giving off here is that you're getting influence because of the kind of power you have, so that when you call, they call you back. That is—

[Craig Kielburger]

Sir, all of those people—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

—lobbying. You have an obligation and you are not meeting that obligation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

We will go to the answer and that will be it.

Please give an answer, gentlemen.

[Craig Kielburger]

I will happily stand corrected by our counsel, but based on my understanding, I don't believe those things you identified, including hiring the adopted Ugandan daughter of an individual and hiring the mother of an elected official, not in an elected-official capacity but as a speaker on mental health, are actually defined as lobbying.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Well, they're defined under the Conflict of Interest Act as family of the public office holders that you're lobbying.

Bill Morneau never read the Conflict of Interest Act. I think you guys should, and maybe the Lobbying Act as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Mr. Angus, we're going to allow an answer, and then we're going to Ms. May.

I'd like an answer, please, gentlemen.

[Marc Kielburger]

Thanks, sir.

Prior to the conversation with the government, when Ms. Wernick approached us with this opportunity, we received approximately, give or take, $5 million from the federal government to the best of our knowledge. It was over many, many years, going back to 2013 [Inaudible—Editor] based on the information provided to me. But that's a relatively small, a very minuscule portion of our budget. It's under 3%. As a result—

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

It's not the size of the budget; it's your obligation when you negotiate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Mr. Angus, we want an answer.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Well, I know, but he's already said that, Chair. We need an answer on the lobbying.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Mr. Angus, they need time to give an answer on the lobbying. Your question round is over, so I'm giving the gentlemen time to answer the question. Then we'll go to Ms. May.

[Marc Kielburger]

Thank you, Chair. We really appreciate it.

Mr. Angus, we hear your question. We understand your concern. The answer is that up to this point we've had virtually very limited engagement with the federal government in seeking funds. At this point, they approached us for this program.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

But you're hanging with their family. Come on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay. You have a little further answer there, gentlemen.

We'll go to Ms. May.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Chair, point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Okay, on a point of order, Mr. Fortin.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Chair, I was interrupted earlier because the device was no longer working. I had to talk to the IT people and they got everything up and running again. About half of my six minutes had gone by.

Can I get that time back? If so, when can I do it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

You have about two minutes coming back to you, Mr. Fortin. I'll bring you in right after Mr. Cumming, before I go to Ms. Koutrakis. So we'll have two more questioners and then we'll go to your two questions.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Sorry, where are we?

Gentlemen, did you want to give a further answer?

[Marc Kielburger]

Mr. Chair, I apologize. The clerk had agreed that at every hour we would be provided a five- to 10-minute pause. We understand that spending four hours is quite unprecedented. I haven't had a chance to spend even four hours with my two little girls in the last month—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Marc Kielburger]

We're spending a lot of quality time together, sir. We haven't had a chance to—

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Yes. I said we'd take a five-minute break at the end of the two hours, but if you really need a washroom break or such, we'll take a five-minute break.