Evidence of meeting #12 for Public Safety and National Security in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was platform.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Thank you for confirming that.
In terms of what happened with respect to the convoy here in Canada, as a result of the Government of Ontario's actions, $8 million was frozen that you were facilitating. You were certainly aware of that, weren't you?
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
We had heard that there was an emergency act put in place to freeze convoy funds.
Liberal
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Media. Great.
So you heard about it through the media. Were you monitoring what was happening with respect to the convoy and the lawlessness around it?
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
You can call it “lawlessness”...okay. Yes, we saw what was unfolding on both sides of the narrative.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Were you aware that states of emergency were called around the convoy, in particular on February 6 when Ottawa called a state of emergency, the City of Ottawa.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Were you aware that the Emergencies Act was brought into effect on February 15? Are you aware of that?
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
But at what point did you stop supporting crowdfunding for the convoy?
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
We never supported it. We allowed the Canadians and people around the world who wanted to support it to support it. We never supported the convoy. We allowed them a platform to have a voice to do what they felt was important, which was to go to the capital and have a word about mandates that were going on.
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
And if somebody had wanted to do a [Inaudible—Editor] protest, we would have allowed it as well.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Thank you. I appreciate that comment.
On the record we know the City of Ottawa on February 6 declared a state of emergency. The Government of Canada as of February 15 introduced the Emergencies Act where it has effect, and you ignored it. Do you believe that you should be respecting the laws of Canada as you do operations that touch upon this country?
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
I can answer that.
Yes, we completely respect those laws in relation to the citizens they affect, who are Canadians.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Thank you for acknowledging that those laws must be respected.
We heard from GoFundMe that 20% of their workforce deals with compliance. What percentage of your workforce deals with compliance to ensure, as you said, that our laws must be respected?
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
What exactly percentage, please?
If you are the head of the organization and you cannot say it, that's shocking.
Co-Founder, GiveSendGo
—if you weren't going to cut me off.
Approximately the same percentage that GoFundMe has, we use for KYC and verification of campaigns and the legitimacy of campaigns and the organizers.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jim Carr
Thank you very much. This segment is done.
Let's now move to Ms. Michaud.
We're running out of time here. We're going to have to go a few minutes over. I'm just going to get some advice from the clerk about how many minutes we can go over.
In the meantime, Ms. Michaud, I will give you the floor for two and a half minutes.