The request is contained in a letter sent to Auditor General Karen Hogan on Sunday in which the Tories argue that “outsourcing” the Canada Student Service Grant to WE Charity undermines Parliament’s ability to monitor the aid program. The Conservatives also noted the “well documented” connections between WE and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they underscored the importance of transparency, accountability and value for money in Ottawa’s COVID-19 spending. The prime minister attended several WE events in the past and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, hosts one of its podcasts. The prime minister said the decision to use WE was made by the non-partisan public service, not by him. Delivery of the grant program demanded an organization able to reach the tens of thousands of students, he said.

Source: Huffington Post June 28, 2020 22:30 UTC