Finance Committee on July 28th, 2020

[Craig Kielburger]

Our audited financial statements are available, like any charity's, for access by the government. I defer to them whether they looked at them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

This is your last question, Marie-Hélène.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

You mentioned that your foundation and WE Charity get money from various donors. Can you tell us where they come from and give us some examples?

[Craig Kielburger]

Certainly. The donors range from young people collecting millions of pennies all across Canada—they collected 140 million pennies one year that went specifically to support clean water projects around the world—to groups that fund our operations. The Gates Foundation has funded our programs, and supports and the well-known Canadian McConnell Foundation, groups from all walks of life.

[Marc Kielburger]

Yes, it's been a wide variety of support, and we're very proud of that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

I'll turn, then, to Mr. Angus followed by Mr. Cooper.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

You're welcome.

Mr. Angus, you have three minutes, and then we'll go to Mr. Cooper.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We are here because of conflict of interest. We have two unprecedented investigations of the Prime Minister and the finance minister on conflicts of interest in their relations with you.

When the chair of the board said that she was shocked to learn that the Trudeau family members were being paid and wasn't aware of that, I'm glad you clarified that they were being paid for the ancillary events afterwards. That's something I've really been interested in about WE, because you are bringing major corporate players to the table. By having the Prime Minister's family—the Trudeau name is enormous—you're providing access to the Trudeau family.

Don't you understand or realize that this puts the Prime Minister into a serious conflict by your setting this up and paying a family to do this? This is the first part of the question. We have you setting up the Prime Minister by your actions in a conflict. But then we understand, after the mass layoffs in March, that you pushed out a document to various ministers. That's you lobbying, and yet you're not registered to lobby. You're very surprised. You can't understand how this all is going wrong for you.

The reason we have the lobbying registry is so that we can track how groups like yours interact with government. With your going under the radar, we don't have a clue, so we have to trust you. But I think the issue is this. Is it because of the issue of conflict, the issue that we have two investigations ongoing, and possibly a third now with Mr. Morneau? The fact is that you didn't bother to register to lobby, and yet you're promoting a project that is going to net hundreds of millions of dollars. I don't see how guys, men as sophisticated as you, don't recognize the obligation to follow what every other charity in the country does, to register and to be tracked so that there's accountability. It's the lack of accountability that's really giving us a hard time believing you.

[Craig Kielburger]

I'm happy to answer the three-part question.

Number one, as to Margaret Trudeau's speaking, she would come to multiple auxiliary events. If the decision is made by Parliament that the mother of the Prime Minister should not be able to speak at events, we will happily fulfill that. She speaks at multiple charities. We did something many charities do. Frankly, to be honest, I don't do everything my mother tells me to do, so I'm not sure if Margaret is [Inaudible—Editor] the Prime Minister.

Number two—

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

You were buying the name. Come on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Mr. Angus, you took about two minutes to ask the question. I'm going to give them the time to answer.

[Craig Kielburger]

Number two, as per lobbying, we've spoken of this extensively and we're happy to speak further. Based on our understanding, it is a calculation of time. That understanding is such that we have looked at that matter. We understand what you're describing. Before April, we had minimal federal funding and minimal time involved in the—

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

So you've never reached out for funding before. Come on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Mr. Angus, please.

[Craig Kielburger]

That's not the appropriate definition of lobbying, sir, and I believe you know that.

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

Well, I think you would understand it well, too.

[Craig Kielburger]

Number three, with great respect, is trust. You trusted us with your own children for years in the program. I hope you trust us now.

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

I don't trust you anymore, but my children did go through your program, and since my children were raised with it, I think it's a very good point. My children learned so much from you guys when you guys were a much younger operation. Now I see how many young people feel.... I was just reading something from someone who wrote about leaving WE. It was about your disregard, the toxic work environment, the disregard for rights, how WE became another private sector company—

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

I have a point of order, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Mr. Angus, do you have another question?

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

I'm sorry, but he was asking about my children, so I think I need to clarify that—

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

I heard a point of order. Who was it from? I didn't see.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

It was from me.

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

—WE became another private sector company and an organization where fear is used—