In today’s Morning Brief, we look at the upcoming House of Commons committee hearings into the Liberal government’s choice of WE Charity to administer a $900-million summer student grant program. We also have a look at socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who’s facing charges she helped recruit girls to be abused by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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MPs begin probe into government’s choice of WE Charity for student grant contract
A parliamentary committee will begin its probe today into the federal government’s decision to task the WE Charity — which has ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s family — with administering a $900-million summer student grant program. The House of Commons finance committee voted last week to hold four meetings this month to “examine how much the government spent in awarding the $912 million sole-source contract to WE Charity.”
The committee called on Clerk of the Privy Council Ian Shugart, Minister of Diversity Bardish Chagger, a senior deputy minister from Employment and Social Development Canada and a representative from Volunteer Canada to appear. It remains unclear if Shugart will appear at a subsequent meeting, but the notice for today lists Chagger as the first witness set to appear before the committee when the hearing begins at 3 p.m. ET.
The committee also will hear from Paula Speevak, president and CEO of Volunteer Canada, which has criticized the student grant program. Also due to appear today is Gina Wilson, senior associate deputy minister at Canadian Heritage. Two people from Employment and Social Development Canada are set to appear before the committee: senior assistant deputy minister Rachel Wernick and Stephanie Hébert, an assistant deputy minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau and his government have been under fire since announcing the program and the contract with WE Charity late last month because of the charity’s close association with the Trudeau family. Trudeau and his mother, Margaret, have appeared at a number of WE Day events, while Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, hosts a podcast for the group called “WE Well-being.”
Initially, WE Charity said members of the Trudeau family were not paid for appearing at WE events, although Sophie Grégoire Trudeau had been reimbursed for travel expenses. Late last week, it emerged that Trudeau’s mother Margaret was paid approximately $250,000 for speaking at 28 events, while his brother Alexandre spoke at eight events and received about $32,000. Read more on this story here.
A reflective view from the top
(Carlos Osorio/Reuters)
Visitors view panoramic scenes from the CN Tower, which reopened yesterday for the first time since coronavirus-related restrictions were imposed in Toronto.
In brief
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after officers fatally shot a 73-year-old man in Haliburton County on Wednesday morning after a dispute over wearing a mask in a store. Ontario Provincial Police say the man had refused to wear a mask at a grocery store in Minden, Ont., and allegedly assaulted a store employee before driving away. Police were called to the store and later went to a home near the village of Haliburton, Ont., about 215 kilometres northeast of Toronto. Outside the home there was an “interaction,” and two police officers fired their guns, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit said. The man was shot and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Read more on this story here.
Canada’s health chari