Another executive of the embattled WE charity is risking the wrath of Parliament by refusing to appear for questioning in front of the Common’s ethic committee..The committee, investigating the billion-dollar boondoggle from a federal grant to the WE charity last year, said Monday that Chief Financial Officer Victor Li has until Friday to appear or be charged with contempt..Blacklock’s Reporter said so far, Li has avoided questioning for eight months using many excuses, including his health. He has asked to reply to questions in writing..“We don’t have time to play games,” said New Democrat MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, Ont.). Questions on finances “should have been easy questions to answer,” said Angus..A $43.5 million grant to WE was revoked July 3 when it was revealed the charity had hired the finance minister’s daughter out of college, and awarded $481,751 in fees, gifts and expense-paid trips to members of the Prime Minister’s family..The ethics committee has ruled testimony from Li was crucial to understanding We Charity operations..“I think this is a serious issue,” said MP Angus. “I think it is a prima facie case of contempt.”.Questions unanswered by Li included:.• “What systems are in place to ensure designated funding is spent in the appropriate places?”.• “How many employees were paid through the for-profit wing while working for the charity?”.• “Do the founders have signing authority at We Charity?”.• “How many organizations, corporations, charities etc. are in the global We Charity family?”.• “How many of these companies or organizations are owned partially or entirely by We Charity founders Craig and Marc Kielburger?”.• “What financial systems do you use to track and account for any donations?”.“I am just getting rather frustrated with the sense of entitlement that we’ve seen from an organization that seems to think we’re picking on them,” said Angus..“Five days is enough. We want those answers.”.Conservative MP Chris Warkentin (Grande Prairie-Mackenzie, Alta.), chair of the ethics committee, said a letter was issued to Li Monday evening demanding full answers by Friday..“He is not answering the committee’s questions,” said Bloc Québécois MP Rheal Fortin (Riviere-du-Nord, Que.)..“It is contempt, really, a contempt of Parliament. We give him one last chance.”.The Kielburger brothers also tried to avoid testifying. After they were threatend with jail they finally showed up with a lawyer in tow..A Parliamentary summons has the weight of a court order though it is rarely enforced. Parliament last jailed an uncooperative witness in 1913, a Montréal contractor held three months at Ottawa’s Carleton County Jail when he refused to take questions on payments of kickbacks to federal officials..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
Another executive of the embattled WE charity is risking the wrath of Parliament by refusing to appear for questioning in front of the Common’s ethic committee..The committee, investigating the billion-dollar boondoggle from a federal grant to the WE charity last year, said Monday that Chief Financial Officer Victor Li has until Friday to appear or be charged with contempt..Blacklock’s Reporter said so far, Li has avoided questioning for eight months using many excuses, including his health. He has asked to reply to questions in writing..“We don’t have time to play games,” said New Democrat MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, Ont.). Questions on finances “should have been easy questions to answer,” said Angus..A $43.5 million grant to WE was revoked July 3 when it was revealed the charity had hired the finance minister’s daughter out of college, and awarded $481,751 in fees, gifts and expense-paid trips to members of the Prime Minister’s family..The ethics committee has ruled testimony from Li was crucial to understanding We Charity operations..“I think this is a serious issue,” said MP Angus. “I think it is a prima facie case of contempt.”.Questions unanswered by Li included:.• “What systems are in place to ensure designated funding is spent in the appropriate places?”.• “How many employees were paid through the for-profit wing while working for the charity?”.• “Do the founders have signing authority at We Charity?”.• “How many organizations, corporations, charities etc. are in the global We Charity family?”.• “How many of these companies or organizations are owned partially or entirely by We Charity founders Craig and Marc Kielburger?”.• “What financial systems do you use to track and account for any donations?”.“I am just getting rather frustrated with the sense of entitlement that we’ve seen from an organization that seems to think we’re picking on them,” said Angus..“Five days is enough. We want those answers.”.Conservative MP Chris Warkentin (Grande Prairie-Mackenzie, Alta.), chair of the ethics committee, said a letter was issued to Li Monday evening demanding full answers by Friday..“He is not answering the committee’s questions,” said Bloc Québécois MP Rheal Fortin (Riviere-du-Nord, Que.)..“It is contempt, really, a contempt of Parliament. We give him one last chance.”.The Kielburger brothers also tried to avoid testifying. After they were threatend with jail they finally showed up with a lawyer in tow..A Parliamentary summons has the weight of a court order though it is rarely enforced. Parliament last jailed an uncooperative witness in 1913, a Montréal contractor held three months at Ottawa’s Carleton County Jail when he refused to take questions on payments of kickbacks to federal officials..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
