Evidence of meeting #47 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cabinet.
A video is available from Parliament.
3:20 p.m.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Over the past number of months, I've been involved in serving Canadians—
3:20 p.m.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
—and focused on that, but I know that WE Charity has shared those expenses and you've had the opportunity to talk to them.
3:20 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
They have not shared those expenses, Prime Minister. They have refused to tell us the itemized expenses for that trip. They didn't even confirm she was on that trip.
What hotel did they pay for her to stay at?
3:20 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Okay. This would have been a very expensive trip, and it would have been paid for in March. Your government then, a month later, was amassing a program of a half a billion dollars, which you now admit you helped approve a month after that. How could you possibly have believed that it was appropriate for you to approve a nearly half-billion-dollar grant to a group that only 60 days earlier was paying for sumptuous travels for immediate members of your family?
3:20 p.m.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
The Ethics Commissioner fully cleared Sophie's volunteer, unpaid work with WE, whether for her podcast or her appearance at WE events or her work as a WE ambassador and ally. It was all entirely unpaid, but they reimbursed expenses, and that clearance was received in advance from the Ethics Commissioner. So that was not—
3:20 p.m.
Conservative
3:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Mr. Poilievre, we're on equal time here, and the Prime Minister still has time.
Go ahead, Prime Minister.
3:20 p.m.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Obviously, that was not a concern for me, knowing that the Ethics Commissioner had approved of Sophie volunteering her time and having expenses covered for engagements with this—
3:20 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
When you became involved with the decision to approve the half-billion-dollar grant to WE Charity on May 5, did you then immediately inform the Ethics Commissioner that you were doing that and also inform the Ethics Commissioner that this group was paying expenses for your spouse?
3:20 p.m.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
As I said, the Ethics Commissioner already knew because he had approved Sophie volunteering with the WE organization a long time ago. Second, my knowledge of WE being involved in delivering this program only happened on May 8, not on May 5, as you are saying.
3:25 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
On May 8, did you contact the Ethics Commissioner to seek permission to be part of the decision to approve this half-billion-dollar grant, yes or no?
3:25 p.m.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
On May 8, I received the formal recommendation by the public service that they go ahead—
3:25 p.m.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
—with the WE program to deliver it, and I pulled it back from cabinet and asked them to do further due diligence because I knew questions would be asked.
3:25 p.m.
Liberal
3:25 p.m.
Conservative
3:25 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Prime Minister, you admit now that you should have removed yourself from the decision to grant this half-billion-dollar grant to the WE Charity. You were found guilty of taking a free vacation from someone who sought a $50-million grant from you, strike one. You were found guilty of interfering with the criminal prosecution of a Liberal-linked corporation, strike two—
3:25 p.m.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Chair, I have a point of order.
MP Poilievre brought up some points that are not relevant to this committee and the motion put forth.
3:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
I am going to allow the question, but, Mr. Poilievre, please leave time for the answer in your six minutes as well.
Go ahead.
3:25 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Thank you.
You were twice found guilty of breaking the ethics act before, strikes one and two. Now you admit a third strike by your failure to recuse yourself, and in the process you broke the ethics act a third time.
What happens in baseball when you have three strikes?