Trudeau government admits to injecting $5.5 MILLION into WE Charity since 2015

Though the WE Charity has received millions of dollars in taxpayer revenue from the federal government, that amount has more than doubled since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the helm in 2015, according to Global News.

The federal government was reported to have only moved $1.1 million into the WE Charity over the course of 9 years, from 2006 to 2015, which included a period of four years (2008 to 2011) where no funds were transferred to the charity at all.

Global News reported that the funds began rolling back into the charity in 2012, "when Indian Affairs and Northern Development paid the charity $292,824 as part of an 'Urban Aboriginal Strategy.'" The outlet added that there was also a $100,000 per-year contribution from the Canadian Heritage to the charity.

It was only after Trudeau took office that the amount of funds flowing into the WE Charity surged to $5.5 million in just four years, from 2015 to 2019. The WE Charity also confirmed that the Trudeau family had received payment in the form of speaking engagements. Margaret Trudeau is reported to have received a staggering $312,000 for attending nearly 30 WE events from 2016 and 2020, according to an article published by Global News earlier this month.

Included in the list of Trudeau's family members who received contributions from the charity include his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, who was paid $1,400 for an event that took place in 2012, and then Trudeau's younger brother, Alexandre Trudeau, is also reported to have received $32,000 for events between 2017-2018.

Global News also reported that Bill Morneau, Finance Minister, announced $3 million to be injected into the WE Social Entrepreneurs initiative, where his "daughter Grace Acan works," and that his second daughter, Clare Morneau, "has previously spoken at WE Day events."

The charity reportedly said in an email that "representatives of WE Charity, Marc and Craig Kielburger, are scheduled to appear before the Finance Committee hearing on July 28," and that "as co-founders, they are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to set the record straight and clarify a number of matters..."

There are a number of people who are suspicious of the behavior by the charity, with co-founder of Democracy Watch Duff Conacher suggesting that there is an alarming pattern "related to the over 400 per cent increase in funding to WE Charity under the Trudeau government," according to Global News.

“It should be investigated by the Auditor General first because they are there to investigate whether there’s been value for money or whether contracts were handed to people based on political influence."

“If the prime minister or anyone on behalf of the prime minister intervened in any of those grants or contributions or contract processes over the years with WE charity, during the entire time Liberals have been in power, then that would amount to enough, I think, for breach of trust charges,” Conacher added.

In response to the backlash they received, Trudeau and Morneau apologized for not taking the necessary steps to recuse themselves "from discussions on decisions related to WE."

Trudeau said: "I'm sincerely sorry for not having done that."

"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."