Politics This Morning: Top bureaucrat says Trudeau, Morneau’s sign-off on WE Charity deal was necessary

Good Wednesday morning, Canada's top public servant, Ian Shugart, testified that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau's sign-off was needed for the deal with WE Charity to get the green light, given its "scale" and the $900-million price tag attached. Facing repeated questions from opposition MPs about whether the public service was alerted to concerns about the organization's financial integrity, Mr. Shugart defended the bureaucracy's oversight of the deal, saying they did their due diligence in assessing WE's capacity to deliver the student-grant program. WE Charity is under renewed scrutiny for the handling of its finances, after Canadaland's Jesse Brown—who will be appearing before the committee today—reported last week that an auditor found it in breach of its bank covenants. After Mr. Brown's appearance, the committee will later hear from Mr. Morneau himself, who has yet to speak publicly—apart from issuing an apology statement—since it was reported that his two daughters, including one who is a contract employee, have ties to WE. The Kielburger brothers, who founded the group, have been invited to testify next week. While the PM has also received an invitation to appear, he has yet to commit. According to Global News, since the Trudeau government took office, its funding to the organization has more than doubled to at least $5.5-million, with millions of taxpayer dollars spent on its projects, including $3-million for its social-entrepreneurs program. Mr. Shugart committed to release documents relevant to the committee's probe into the deal, while saying that there's "absolutely no evidence" to suggest that the prime minister had been in touch with WE Charity before they came to an agreement. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in a presser, said the prime minister should waive cabinet confidentiality in relation the matter, while Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet dismissed the NDP's call, saying in French he doesn't consider them to be "major stakeholders at the moment." Bad blood between the two parties have been brewing, particularly since Mr. Singh accused Bloc House Leader Alain Therrien of being a racist over his opposition to a motion calling for a review of the RCMP's budget in the wake of a wave of anti-racist protests that swept many parts of the world. The House passed the feds' latest coronavirus aid package, which, when it's passed by the Senate, would expand eligibility of the wage-subsidy program to more businesses struggling to recoup lost earnings. It also a one-time payment of $600 for people claiming disability benefits, a measure that has long been called for by the community, who have said they were receiving less than recipients eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Governor General Julie Payette is being accused of creating a toxic environment at Rideau Hall, CBC reported, citing confidential sources, who pointed to a string of resignations. Those sources told the public broadcaster that the governor general "screams and humiliates staff in front of others," accusing her of verbal abuse. In a press statement, the governor general's press secretary said, CBC's reporting is "in stark contrast to the reality of working" at the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, "and obscures the important work done by our dedicated staff." Ms. Payette's spokesperson said that since she was appointed, the office has not fielded any formal complaints of harassment. It's not the first time Ms. Payette has been scrutinized during her tenure. She disputed reports in 2018 that her first year in office got off to a rough start and that she clashed with staff at Rideau Hall. In other news, the House Affairs Committee released its report, with a majority of members recommending that House administration develop a remote-voting app in time for September, when Parliament resumes. The Conservatives, for their part, issued a dissenting report, questioning the motives government and MPs in introducing remote voting. The civilian oversight body responsible for holding the RCMP to account expressed concerns about the police's conduct during its performance of wellness checks, according to CBC. It said its reports "have repeatedly found" that its use of "this 'command and control' approach has led to the RCMP's unreasonable use of force in apprehending persons in crisis." So-called wellness checks are under renewed scrutiny following the recent deaths of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Black woman from Toronto, and Chantel Moore, an Indigenous woman, in the presence of police officers. Ms. Moore was shot by police while she was wielding a knife, and Ms. Korchinski-Paquet fell several stories to her death. The chair of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Michelaine Lahaie, will be appearing before the House Public Safety Committee as part of its study on systemic racism on Friday. Hearings kick off Thursday. In other scheduled meetings, the House Ethics Committee plans to resume its debate on opposition MPs' push to open a parallel probe into the WE Charity agreement. Efforts to launch another committee study were stymied at the last meeting, with Liberals filibustering proceedings. The Hill Times

Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Top bureaucrat says Trudeau, Morneau’s sign-off on WE Charity deal was necessary

Plus, the House Finance Committee is slated to hear from Canadaland's Jesse Brown and Finance Minister Bill Morneau today, and the Kielburger brothers, of WE Charity fame, will appear before members next week.

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Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Top bureaucrat says Trudeau, Morneau’s sign-off on WE Charity deal was necessary

Plus, the House Finance Committee is slated to hear from Canadaland's Jesse Brown and Finance Minister Bill Morneau today, and the Kielburger brothers, of WE Charity fame, will appear before members next week.

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