Critics denounce WE Charity campaign-style ad for Justin Trudeau amid PM's scandal over charity links
A 2017 ad from WE Charity that appears to promote Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government is being highlighted by critics this week as Trudeau faces an ethics investigation over handing a $900-million sole-source contract to the group, which has paid members of his family hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaking fees.
The ad, entitled “WE are Canada,” and devoted exclusively to Trudeau, appears to be linked to the Canada 150 celebrations and shows stylized silhouettes of Trudeau across backdrops of mountains and farmer’s fields, while Trudeau speaks about young people and his intentions to work hard.
“I pledge to work hard for all Canadians,” says Trudeau’s voiceover, urging young people to “live WE.”
The video — a campaign-style production that doubles as a promo for the charity — was produced by Door Knocker Media, a Toronto production company, and the original video, on VIMEO, is listed as having been made for the client, WE Charity.
The controversy over the contract given to WE — which has led to demands from the Bloc Québécois that Trudeau step aside temporarily as prime minister — arose two weeks ago when the federal government announced WE, the organization overseeing the WE Charity, was awarded a $900-million sole-source contract to run a federal student volunteer grant program. The group also runs ME to WE, a for-profit enterprise.
“My Canada 150 is a place where everyone has a real and fair chance to succeed,” Trudeau says on the video. He also promises to “invest” in Canadian youth. The WE organization works with Canadian youth and has close links to Canadian schools.
Conservative MP Candice Bergen said in response to the ad that it shows “WE works for Trudeau and Trudeau for them.” Trudeau has faced previous ethics investigations over accepting illegal gifts, involving a free vacation on the Aga Khan’s private Bahamian island, and meddling in the prosecution of Quebec corporate giant SNC-Lavalin. But Bergen said the latest scandal shows the issue is no longer about his faulty judgment. “It’s about his character,” she wrote on Twitter. “He’s corrupt.”
Watch this ad. WE works for Trudeau and Trudeau for them.
It’s no longer about Trudeau’s judgment. It’s about his character. He’s corrupt. https://t.co/JbyWY3rm89
— Candice Bergen (@CandiceBergenMP) July 10, 2020
The vote to offer the contract for the Canadian Student Services Grant, which was decided by cabinet and would have paid WE $19.5 million in fees to administer $900 billion in grants to students, included both Trudeau and Bill Morneau, the finance minister. Neither recused themselves from the decision despite Trudeau’s mother, brother and wife having collected hundreds of thousands of dollars for appearing at WE events, and Morneau’s daughter working on WE staff.
The WE organization paid the prime minister’s mother, Margaret Trudeau, $312,000 for 28 speeches since 2016, as first reported by the media website Canadaland.
WE also paid Trudeau’s brother, Alexandre “Sacha” Trudeau, $40,000 for eight appearances in 2017-2018 and, back in 2012, $1,400 to Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. Trudeau was, at the time, a member of Parliament, but not the leader of the Liberal party or prime minister.
Previously, WE Charity had said no member of the Trudeau family had been paid for their appearances, with the exception of travel expenses for Grégoire Trudeau.
The Prime Minister’s Office has denied wrongdoing. “What is important to remember here is that this is about a charity supporting students,” it said in a statement issued Thursday. “The Canada Student Service Grant program is about giving young people opportunities to contribute to their communities, not about benefits to anyone else.”
WE said in its statements that the payments were supposed to be made by ME to WE Social Enterprise, not WE Charity, blaming a billing error wherein Margaret Trudeau’s fees were paid by the charity, and not the for-profit wing.
WE pulled out of administering the grant program a week later as controversies emerged, including a National Post report that WE co-founder Marc Kielburger told a private videoconference that the Prime Minister’s Office had called WE for help with the grant program. Kielberger said later he “misspoke,” claiming it was not the PMO but rather, the federal public service, that had made the call.
Watch to the end to see who produced this election-style ad for Justin Trudeau #cdnpoli
Original: https://t.co/CDCWXdJuqo pic.twitter.com/q1GzJqHrcx
— Pundit Class (@punditclass) July 10, 2020
With files from Christopher Nardi