Kielburgers accuse MPs of subjecting them to political ‘trial’ and destroying WE Charity
Charlie Angus #CharlieAngus
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They said the Liberal government ‘hid behind a children’s charity by letting it take the fall for their political decisions, and the opposition allowed them’
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Mar 15, 2021 • 14 minutes ago • 4 minute read • 
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Craig Kielburger, centre and his brother Marc Kielburger, right, testify at a parliamentary committee alongside their lawyer, left, on March 15, 2021. Photo by ParlVu Article content
WE Charity founders Marc and Craig Kielburger came out firing at MPs during a House of Commons committee appearance on Monday, accusing politicians from all parties of effectively destroying their charity and now putting the brothers through a political “trial.”
“Over the past nine months many falsehoods have circulated about WE Charity and those associated with it,” Marc Kielburger said in his opening statement. “Lies and innuendo have been spread about me, my brother and our families. Not even our 80-year-old parents have been spared.”
He said the brothers are now “taking a stand” on behalf of the beleaguered charity, which announced last September it was closing its Canadian operations but continuing internationally. He blamed the Liberal government for creating the scandal and then leaving the charity twisting in the wind, and blamed the opposition for the “political crossfire” that has hammered the Kielburgers and the WE organization ever since.
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Craig Kielburger also told the committee about the personal toll the events have taken on him, saying death threats had even been made against his toddlers. “My three-and-a-half year old can’t play outside anymore,” he said.
‘Shocked, astonished, horrified’: WE’s alleged dubious fundraising methods could have negative impact on other charities 
WE Charity still sitting on $40M in Toronto real estate that was to be sold for endowment fund The charity has come under intense political and media scrutiny since June 2020, when the Liberal government announced it would pay WE Charity to run the proposed Canada Student Service Grant program. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau did not recuse themselves from the cabinet decision despite their family members getting income from WE Charity, and the organization pulled out of the deal one week after it was announced.
The brothers had previously appeared at the Commons finance committee last summer to testify about the cancelled deal, but this new appearance at the Commons ethics committee was much more acrimonious to organize. The committee even had to issue a formal summons to the brothers last week after they pulled out of the initial agreement, and the Kielburgers only testified on Monday after they were allowed to appear with lawyer Will McDowell at their side to advise them.
Marc Kielburger delivers his opening statement at a parliamentary committee alongside his brother Craig Kielburger, right. Photo by ParlVu
In his opening remarks, Marc Kielburger aimed much of his fury at NDP MP Charlie Angus, who has written to the RCMP and Canada Revenue Agency asking for investigations into WE Charity’s donor practices. The committee recently heard testimony from one donor who said that a school in Kenya he’d funded in honour of his late son later bore a plaque with another donor’s name.
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Although Kielburger apologized for that incident and called it a mistake, he laced into Angus for calling for the investigation.
“Clearly showing the political purposes of his action, (Angus) announces this on Twitter and his letter was immediately leaked to the media to generate headlines,” Kielburger said. “Imagine the NDP calling in the police for clearly political purposes on a children’s charity.”
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“By requesting a law enforcement investigation for political reasons of WE Charity in the middle of these proceedings before even hearing our side, Mr. Angus knew he would get headlines while making it hard for the charity to defend itself,” Kielburger went on. “Let us be clear, this hearing is a trial and a public one at that… Without recognizing our right to present our own evidence, this committee is trying WE Charity in the court of public opinion and forcing testimony.”
Later, taking questions from both Angus and Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre, Craig Kielburger said they don’t know whether the RCMP is actually investigating them or not.
“Have you been contacted by the RCMP for any other purpose, yes or no?” Poilievre asked.
“No we have not been contacted by the RCMP,” Kielburger responded. For legal reasons, he declined to answer whether the federal ethics commissioner has contacted them, and said he’s not aware of whether they’re under investigation by the federal lobbying commissioner or the elections commissioner.
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Marc Kielburger, left, and Craig Kielburger. Photo by Brice Hall / National Post illustration
In another heated exchange, Poilievre pushed Kielburger on why he had sent a note to Ben Chin, a senior advisor at the prime minister’s office, thanking him for “helping shape” the student volunteer grant program after claiming that Chin had no role in crafting it.
“You said a moment ago that you thought the Prime Minister’s chief adviser had no role in establishing this program,” Poilievre said. “So which is it? I want to ask you quite clearly: did you know that Mr. Chin was playing a role in establishing this program?”
Kielburger said it was a personalized message sent out as a Linked In request by his executive assistant, but didn’t further explain why the message used language about “helping shape” the program.
Marc Kielburger also used his opening statement to lash out at how the Liberal government has handled the situation, arguing that WE Charity was only trying to do good by accepting the offer to run the federal student grant program.
“Here is the simple fact: Given a chance to do good for 100,000 students and other charities during the pandemic, WE Charity agreed to help,” Kielburger said. “We didn’t advise the Prime Minister and Mr. Morneau not to recuse themselves. We never prorogued Parliament. We were not involved in the decision to filibuster this committee last fall. This is a political scandal for the government, not for WE Charity.”
He said the Liberal government “hid behind a children’s charity by letting it take the fall for their political decisions, and the opposition allowed them.”
We didn’t advise the Prime Minister and Mr. Morneau not to recuse themselves. We never prorogued Parliament
For around three hours, MPs on the committee grilled the Kielburgers about other elements of the political scandal and subsequent controversies, including around WE Charity’s donor practices.
The Kielburgers were also asked why they chose to close down WE Charity’s operations in Canada. Craig Kielburger answered that it was because of “politics.”
“It is a tragedy, what is happening,” he said. “It was the hardest choice we’ve ever had to make, to announce the wind-down of 25 years of work in this country.”
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