REGINA -- Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is the latest Canadian politician to be questioned about ties to the WE organization.
Prime Minister Trudeau has been under fire over a multi-million dollar federal contract to the group for administration of a student summer grant program.
Now, Saskatchewan NDP are questioning Moe’s connections to WE, and a possible contract to deliver classroom programming.
Moe appears to have developed a professional friendship with WE organization founder, Craig Kielburger. Last September, the Premier hosted Kielburger at the Legislative Building.
Two months later, the premier and his wife had supper with the WE founder. In December, they all met again on a winter vacation in Africa.
“My family has been involved in supporting the WE foundation for a number of years, through my daughter originally, then my wife and my daughter. Then most recently my wife and I had attended in Kenya this past year, that was a personal trip,” Moe said.
The Saskatchewan Government is currently exploring a $250,000 contract with WE to deliver mental health curriculum in schools.
The Prime Minister has been under fire for not excusing himself from a vote where WE was awarded a multi-million dollar contract to administer a student summer grant program. The Trudeau family also has ties with Kielburger.
However, Saskatchewan’s premier said his family’s connection to the WE organization is different from that of the Trudeau’s.
“One, I didn’t receive any money, two I approached our conflict of interest commissioner immediately before doing anything on the personal side,” Moe said.
The premier and his wife paid their own way to Africa and Moe has not been involved in decision making on the school curriculum contract. The trip was cleared with Saskatchewan’s Conflict of Interest Commissioner.
The NDP say any subsequent contract deserves close scrutiny.
“We have some serious questions about the contract, about signing a quarter of a million dollar contract at this time with a charity that is obviously under some very public scrutiny in Ottawa right now,” said NDP MLA Carla Beck.
The government sought other bids for the mental health curriculum but no other service provider came forward with similar program. The matter has not come before cabinet and an agreement has yet to be signed.
