The opposition Conservatives are calling for a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his ties to the WE Charity after the federal government handed the organization a $900 million sole-sourced contract reported the CBC today.
The call comes a day after CBC News and Canadaland reported that, despite initial claims, WE had financial dealings with some of Trudeau’s family members, most notably his mother Margaret and brother Alexandre. WE and its affiliates paid out some $300,000 in speaking fees to Prime Minister’s mother Margaret and brother Alexandre.
Michael Barrett, Conservative Shadow Minister for Ethics, issued the following statement calling for a criminal investigation into Justin Trudeau’s decision to hand almost a billion-dollar contract to a charity that not only had close ties to the Liberal Party, but which paid his family almost $300,000:
“Not only did Justin Trudeau not recuse himself from the decision to hand almost a billion dollars to WE Charity, we know now that the organization paid his family almost $300,000. It is clear that a criminal investigation is warranted. As such, Conservatives will be writing to the RCMP to encourage them pursue this case.
“The Trudeau Liberals cannot hide from this scandal. Every single Cabinet Minister must answer for their part in approving this massive contract. Did they know that the Prime Minister’s family had a financial relationship with WE Charity? Would that have changed their position on awarding the organization a sole-sourced contract? Do Ministers or their family members have financial relationships with WE Charity? Canadians deserve answers.
“Parliament must immediately be recalled so that Opposition parties can ask questions and get to the bottom of this. The Finance Committee and the Government Operations Committee must accelerate their investigations. The Ethics Committee must immediately be reconvened to hear witness testimony. The Trudeau government must immediately hand over all of the documents related to this contract. The Ethics Commissioner must accelerate his investigation. The Auditor General and the Procurement Ombudsman must investigate. No stone can be left unturned.
“Justin Trudeau has already been found guilty of accepting a paid vacation on a luxury island. He was found guilty for his involvement in the SNC-Lavalin Corruption Scandal. Now, he is under investigation for the third time in three years. As they say in baseball, three strikes and you’re out.
“Every single Liberal Member of Parliament needs to look themselves in the mirror and decide if they are comfortable with Justin Trudeau being the leader of their party given his scandal-plagued track record.
“Conservatives will continue to hold the Prime Minister and his government accountable. We will not rest until Canadians have answers.”, the statement concluded.
On the other side, some people took to social media and pointed out that Margaret Trudeau has a lengthy history of advocating for mental health programs, as well as speaking out about her own struggles. The hashtag #MargaretTrudeau was being used on Twitter for many who commented in defence of Margaret Trudeau.
The ethics commissioner is already investing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for potential conflict of interest with regard to the contract, as his long-standing family ties to the group are well known.
But that review was launched prior to revelations the prime minister’s mother, brother and wife have been paid in the past by the WE organization.
Cover Photo: ApnaHub
