China News Service Toronto, July 22 (Reporter Yu Ruidong) Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau student service scholarship program storm continues to ferment. He has agreed to be questioned on the matter in the House of Representatives Finance Committee.
Trudeau's office confirmed to the media on the 22nd local time that Trudeau and his chief of staff will respond to the House Finance Committee on the cooperation between the government and "We Charity". But the specific time remains to be determined.
House Ethics Committee voted that night and also asked Trudeau to be questioned on the committee. The Prime Minister's Office has not yet responded.
Data map: Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau. China News Service issued MSC/Kuhlmann photo
As one of the epidemic relief measures, Trudeau announced the Canadian government's student service scholarship program on June 25. The project, with a total amount of over $900 million, was handed over to a body called "We Charity". The media later revealed that the Trudeau family had close ties with the institution and that their families had received compensation by participating in the institution's activities. This has caused public opinion to question the suspected "nepotism". Later, Canadian media revealed that one of the daughters of Finance Minister Mono were employed by the institution, and another daughter also gave speeches at the institution's activities.
Canadian Parliamentary Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Dion said recently that an investigation has been launched on whether Trudeau and Mono violated the Conflict of Interest Act in this matter. Although Trudeau and Mono have apologized to the public through the media, the opposition party has continued to criticize the Trudeau government recently and even demanded that Trudeau and Mono step down.
Mono admitted when questioned by the Parliamentary Finance Committee on the 22nd that he had just repaid his travel expenses with his family of more than 40,000 Canadian dollars to "We Charity". He and his family visited Kenya and Ecuador in 2017 to visit the "We Charity" project and participate in related activities. He also revealed that he and his wife have donated to "Us Charity" twice, totaling about 100,000 Canadian dollars.
Canadian Federal Minister for Diversity Integration and Youth Bardish Chagger recently admitted to the Parliamentary Finance Committee that "we charity" can earn more than 43 million Canadian dollars by managing the bursary program.
Officials of the Privy Council told the Parliamentary Finance Committee on the 21st that the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister cannot avoid the bursary program in procedurally. At the same time, there is no evidence that Trudeau interacts with "We Charity" on the project.
Under public pressure, the Canadian government and "We Charity" announced in early July that it would suspend cooperation in the scholarship project.
Previously, Trudeau was investigated by the Ethics Commissioner in December 2017 and August 2019 for taking a private helicopter to a private island vacation and trying to interfere in the judicial process in the case of SNC Lanwanling. (End)
Source: China News Network
