After refusing repeated invitations to show up, MPs have have subpoenaed We Charity’s chief financial officer for questioning.Victor Li was CFO during the WE charity scandal that saw the downfall of the Kielburger brothers, said Blacklock’s Reporter..“This is a charitable organization with special tax treatment from the Government of Canada,” Conservative MP Arnold Viersen (Peace River-Westlock, Alta.) told the ethics committee. “.“Surely we should be able to hear from them.”.The chief financial officer had dismissed requests to appear since last June. A former We Charity lobbyist, Sofia Marquez, was also subpoenaed..Cabinet last May 22 approved a $43.5 million grant to We Charity without disclosing the group hired then-Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s daughter out of college, gave Morneau $41,366 in expense-paid trips to resort in Kenya and Ecuador, and paid $481,751 in fees, gifts and free trips to the Prime Minister’s wife, mother and brother..“Seven months in we have had obstruction, refusal, denials to participate,” said New Democrat MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, Ont.)..“I think we need to get this committee study finished. We had consensus on issuing summonses if necessary.”.The Kielburger brothers have also been asked to reappear for questioning. MPs sought additional testimony from Morneau, who quit cabinet last August 17 for breach of the Conflict Of Interest Act..The ethics committee said testimony from Li was crucial to understanding We Charity operations. Internal documents show the group faced layoffs and revenue losses as it petitioned cabinet for grants.. WE charity CFO subpoenaed to appear before ethics committee .“Job losses were inevitable,” Dalal Al-Waheidi, executive director of We Charity, wrote in a May 23 email one day after cabinet approved $43.5 million in funding. “We had to make the difficult decision to significantly reduce our staffing numbers.”.MP Angus said numerous questions remain unanswered..“We need to know the financial structure,” said Angus..“How does this group work? How is the money flowing? I would find it very, very shocking that a financial officer of a major charity simply refuses to testify to Parliament.”.Commons committee subpoenas have the weight of court orders but are rarely enforced by Parliament. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2019 ignored an ethics committee summons. In 2011 then-Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Christiane Ouimet refused to appear before the Commons public accounts committee over alleged incompetence..Parliament last enforced a summons in 1873 when Ottawa Alderman John Heney was jailed five days for refusing to take questions on his attempted bribery of an MP..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694
After refusing repeated invitations to show up, MPs have have subpoenaed We Charity’s chief financial officer for questioning.Victor Li was CFO during the WE charity scandal that saw the downfall of the Kielburger brothers, said Blacklock’s Reporter..“This is a charitable organization with special tax treatment from the Government of Canada,” Conservative MP Arnold Viersen (Peace River-Westlock, Alta.) told the ethics committee. “.“Surely we should be able to hear from them.”.The chief financial officer had dismissed requests to appear since last June. A former We Charity lobbyist, Sofia Marquez, was also subpoenaed..Cabinet last May 22 approved a $43.5 million grant to We Charity without disclosing the group hired then-Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s daughter out of college, gave Morneau $41,366 in expense-paid trips to resort in Kenya and Ecuador, and paid $481,751 in fees, gifts and free trips to the Prime Minister’s wife, mother and brother..“Seven months in we have had obstruction, refusal, denials to participate,” said New Democrat MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, Ont.)..“I think we need to get this committee study finished. We had consensus on issuing summonses if necessary.”.The Kielburger brothers have also been asked to reappear for questioning. MPs sought additional testimony from Morneau, who quit cabinet last August 17 for breach of the Conflict Of Interest Act..The ethics committee said testimony from Li was crucial to understanding We Charity operations. Internal documents show the group faced layoffs and revenue losses as it petitioned cabinet for grants.. WE charity CFO subpoenaed to appear before ethics committee .“Job losses were inevitable,” Dalal Al-Waheidi, executive director of We Charity, wrote in a May 23 email one day after cabinet approved $43.5 million in funding. “We had to make the difficult decision to significantly reduce our staffing numbers.”.MP Angus said numerous questions remain unanswered..“We need to know the financial structure,” said Angus..“How does this group work? How is the money flowing? I would find it very, very shocking that a financial officer of a major charity simply refuses to testify to Parliament.”.Commons committee subpoenas have the weight of court orders but are rarely enforced by Parliament. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2019 ignored an ethics committee summons. In 2011 then-Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Christiane Ouimet refused to appear before the Commons public accounts committee over alleged incompetence..Parliament last enforced a summons in 1873 when Ottawa Alderman John Heney was jailed five days for refusing to take questions on his attempted bribery of an MP..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694
