National Post (National Edition)
‘I MADE A MISTAKE’
TRUDEAU, MORNEAU APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING PART IN CABINET’S WE DECISION OVER $900M GRANT PROGRAM
OTTAWA • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau both admit they should have recused themselves from Cabinet’s decision to outsource a $900-million volunteer student grant program to WE Charity, which has close ties to their respective families.
“I made a mistake in not recusing myself immediately from the discussions given our family’s history. I am sincerely sorry about not having done that,” the prime minister said during a press conference in front of his residence Monday morning.
Later in the day, Morneau also apologized for participating in the decision. Last week, he confirmed reports that two of his daughters had been associated with WE Charity, including one that is currently under contract with the Toronto-based organization.
“I did not recuse myself from the discussions on this topic and, given the fact that my daughter works for the organization in an unrelated branch, I now realize I should have in order to avoid any perception of conflict. I apologize for not doing so, and moving forward, I will recuse myself from any future discussions related to WE,” Morneau said through a spokesperson.
Those apologies did little to assuage Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett concerns about Trudeau and his Cabinet’s handling of the WE file.
“Justin Trudeau only apologizes when he gets caught,” Barrett said in an interview.
JUSTIN TRUDEAU ONLY APOLOGIZES WHEN HE GETS CAUGHT
FOR WEEKS, HE TRIED TO SAY THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS CONTRACT.
“For weeks, he tried to say there was nothing wrong with this contract. He unapologetically informed Canadians that he did not recuse himself from these conversations. And it’s only after an ethics commissioner investigation has begun, after I wrote the RCMP requesting an investigation … and all opposition parties demanding accountability, that the prime minister is suddenly sorry.”
For over two weeks now, the prime minister and his Cabinet have been embroiled in controversy, particularly because of his involvement in the decision to outsource the Canada Student Service Grant — a $900-million program that will pay eligible students up to $5,000 for volunteering hours done until October 31 — to WE Charity.
Barely one week after the June 25 announcement and citing the intense controversy, WE Charity pulled out of the deal and committed to reimburse any fees already paid by the government.
Up until 2017, Justin Trudeau had regularly attended or hosted WE Day, the organization’s annual stadium-sized rally for Canadian youth.
His wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, is a “WE ambassador,” hosts a podcast for the organization, and attended a WE Day event in March with her daughter and the prime minister’s mother, Margaret Trudeau, in London.
Last week, the WE organization — which oversees WE Charity as well as a for-profit social enterprise ME to WE — also admitted Trudeau’s wife, mother and brother had been paid hundreds of thousands in total speaking fees for events between 2012 and 2020.
In previous statements, the organization had denied ever paying an honorarium or fees for any Trudeau family member beyond travel expenses.
On Monday, Trudeau gave vague answers to questions asking if and how much his mother was being paid by WE for her speeches.
“I knew that my brother and my mother work as professional public speakers and it is not surprising to me that they got paid by WE. But I did not know the details and as I said I should have known the details and I regret that,” Trudeau answered.
The prime minister also apologized for the fact that his mistakes severely slowed down the implementation of the Canada Student Service Grant. That, in turn, is affecting young Canadians who may be struggling to find a source of income during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
“I’m particularly sorry because not only has it created unnecessary controversy and issues. It also means that young people who are facing a difficult time right now getting summer jobs, contributing to their communities, are going to have to wait a little longer before getting those opportunities to serve. That’s frustrating,” Trudeau said.
Last week, Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion announced he’d investigate Trudeau’s handling of his government’s outsourcing of the program.
On Monday, Democracy Watch cofounder Duff Conacher published a 14-page letter sent to the ethics commissioner asking him to broaden the investigation to include Morneau, as well as the prime minister’s chief of staff, Katie Telford, among other things.
On Sunday, the Globe & Mail reported that Telford, as well as Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan, had worked with a group called Artbound that had helped raise $400,000 for WE Charity (then called Free The Children) back in 2010 and 2011.
“We can confirm that we are aware of reports concerning reporting public office holders and their alleged connections to the WE Charity and affiliates, and that the matter has been brought to Commissioner Dion’s attention … In these matters a decision has not yet been made and Commissioner Dion expects to make one this week,” Melanie Rushworth, Dion’s director of communications, wrote to National Post on Monday.