Finance Minister Bill Morneau (Image Credit: The Canadian Press)

By James Peters

WE Charity Scandal

Kamloops MP calls on finance minister to resign in light of WE Charity revelations

Jul 23, 2020 | 3:14 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Conservative MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo is calling for the resignation of Canada’s finance minister.

Cathy McLeod says Bill Morneau’s personal and family involvement with the WE Charity constitutes a conflict of interest.

Morneau admitted Wednesday he accepted travel perks from the organization, though he said he has since reimbrused the charity. The revelation came after it was learned both Morneau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have connections to WE Charity that have provided their families with financial benefits.

The government awarded WE Charity Foundation a $912 million contract to administer a student volunteering program earlier this year, before quickly reversing its decision when the ties with Trudeau were revealed.

“Every day, the connections and the abuse in terms of the WE Charity and the current government gets worse and worse,” McLeod told CFJC Today Thursday (July 23).

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“We now know that [Morneau] accepted travel to the tune of $41,000 from the organization, which is absolutely — clearly — against the Conflict of Interest Act,” she continued. “Not only did he fail to recuse himself, but as the minister in charge of the finances of this country, had basic conflict of interest rules that he has broken.”

Testifying to the Commons finance committee Wednesday, Morneau apologized and said he hadn’t realized he hadn’t personally repaid the organization for the travel expenses.

McLeod says she doesn’t buy any suggestion Morneau didn’t know the rules.

“That doesn’t hold any water with me. When you’re first elected, whether you’re in local government, you have people who recuse themselves. They know what the expectations are, they know what the conflict of interest rules are, they know what is ethical practice,” said McLeod. “For him to say, as the person that is the finance minister for this country, that he didn’t know it was wrong… Well, if he didn’t know, his staff should have known and they should have said, ‘You can’t do it.'”