Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, faced a grilling Thursday from MPs probing the federal government’s decision to task WE Charity with running a $900 million student grant program. Here are the key exchanges.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, faced a grilling from MPs Thursday probing the federal government’s decision to task WE Charity with running a $900 million student grant program.
It was a rare appearance by a prime minister before a parliamentary committee and it came in the midst of a damaging controversy for the Liberal government.
Trudeau was scheduled to appear for one hour but ended up testifying for 90 minutes in a session that included some heated moments — and some levity, when a power outage knocked committee chair Wayne Easter out of the proceedings.
Here are the key exchanges.
Trudeau says he learned of WE decision on May 8
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau disclosed for the first time that he pulled the proposal to partner with WE Charity for the student grant program from the cabinet agenda on May 8 because he wanted to do more work to ensure it was done the right way. 2:54
Trudeau said for the first time that he pulled the proposal to partner with WE Charity for the student grant program from the cabinet agenda on May 8 because he wanted to do more work to ensure the program was being rolled out the right way.
Conservative MP: Cabinet must be accountable
Conservative MP Michael Barrett tells Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the responsibility for the decision to award the studen