Trudeau family members paid more than quarter of a million dollars by WE Charity

OTTAWA – With controversy surrounding the Trudeau government’s hiring of the WE Charity to deliver student grants comes word that both the prime minister’s mother and brother were paid more than a quarter of a million dollars for speaking engagements on behalf of the organization.

In a statement, WE Charity confirms that between 2016 and 2020, Margaret Trudeau received $250,000 for 28 events, while Alexandre Trudeau received $32,000 for eight events.

Aside from one instance that WE Charity says was an accounting error, all payments were made by ME to WE Social Enterprises, the for-profit entity of the charity.

The news comes as the ethics commissioner investigates the prime minister’s involvement in the government giving the WE Charity a $900 million sole-sourced contract to deliver the Canada Student Services Grant.

Conservative MP Michael Barrett says it’s a troubling situation.

“It’s a contract worth almost a billion dollars and this organization has direct financial dealings with the Trudeau family,” he says. “There’s an appearance of a conflict of interest here. Members of the Trudeau family have received significant sums of money.”

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office says Trudeau’s relatives engage with a variety of organizations and personal causes on their own accord.+

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• Confusion, frustration abound as feds weigh options for $900M student program

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Trudeau has said the public service made the choice to select WE, however, cabinet approved the decision.

When asked about the controversy, he said he did not recuse himself when the WE deal received approval.

“No, I did not,” he said, as a reporter asked why he made that decision. “I have long worked on youth issues.”

WE has since pulled out of the agreement and will no longer be delivering the grant.

Related video: WE Charity to no longer run $900M federal volunteer program

Meanwhile, anxious students and non-profit groups say they’re confused and frustrated as they wait to hear what will happen to the volunteering program.

Several non-profits seeking volunteers under the grant program say they and their volunteers are waiting for answers, including whether the program is going to go ahead and the students they have already taken on will be paid the promised honorarium for their time.

The grant program promises to pay students up to $5,000 for their post-secondary educations if they volunteer the maximum 500 hours.

With files from The Canadian Press