The Prime Minister’s brother, Alexandre Trudeau, himself asked to appear before a parliamentary committee in Ottawa to be able to “defend the reputation” of the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau Foundation, targeted by various allegations in connection with a donation suspected of coming from the Chinese government.
“I want to testify before the committee that is looking into it. I’m ready to say everything I know about the foundation. It’s pressing! » tells the Duty the main interested party.
Alexandre Trudeau usually refuses all interview requests related to politics, and had not yet publicly commented on the turmoil in which the foundation that bears the name of his father, the former prime minister, finds itself. Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
However, he agreed to make an exception to this rule after seeing what he considers to be “dishonest attacks” on the organization with which he has been heavily involved over the past 20 years. His brother, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, cut his ties with the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau Foundation about 10 years ago.
“If I want to speak to the committee, it is because the reputation is affected. The honor of the fellows is questioned. They don’t need that pressure,” explains Alexandre Trudeau. His message is addressed to both Liberal and opposition MPs, who nevertheless agreed on Monday to exclude him from the investigation by a parliamentary committee.
The daily The Globe and Mail reported in February that two businessmen acting under the authority of the Chinese government made a donation to the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau Foundation in an effort to influence Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. The report was based on intelligence reports disclosed to reporters and dated 2014.
The duty did not have access to these documents, and their interpretation was questioned by government officials.
Wash the honor of the foundation
” The foundation [Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau] did nothing wrong! There was no attempt, [encore moins] real interference. The donors had no bad intentions, ”assures Alexandre Trudeau, without wanting to give more details on the merits of the case.
For the rest, the documentary filmmaker and author of a book on China relies on his possible public testimony.
The duty reported in April that the University of Montreal was in fact the primary target of a $1 million donation from two wealthy Chinese businessmen, Zhang Bin and Niu Gensheng, to honor Pierre Elliott Trudeau by funding scholarships.
The Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau Foundation only came into play when it reached an agreement to use the former prime minister’s name, which earned it a share of the $200,000 donation. $, in 2016. The University of Montreal collected the bulk of the amount, but finally waived the last installment of $250,000 because the donation created “unease”.
“There is no link between the Trudeau government and the Trudeau Foundation,” insists the Prime Minister’s brother.
He says he believes that the very survival of the foundation is now threatened by the bad press surrounding this affair. The turmoil also caused the departure of its board of directors in April, including that of its CEO, Pascale Fournier. Commenting on the climate within the organization, Mr. Trudeau speaks of “a management crisis” which he attributes to “errors of judgment and serious misconduct” in the recent reaction to articles about him.
Alexandre Trudeau himself left the board about three years ago, although he remains well informed of the organization’s activities. “I have complete confidence in the administrators who are there now,” he concludes.
This week, the board of directors of the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau Foundation tried, in vain, to obtain an audit from the office of the Auditor General of Canada that would shed light on the recent allegations.
The committee does not want him, for the moment
On Wednesday, the Conservative Party of Canada again demanded to summon Alexandre Trudeau to appear before the investigation led by a parliamentary committee. ” His brother [au premier ministre] facilitated a donation from China to the foundation with the motive of influencing the prime minister. […] If he has nothing to hide, will he support a motion to invite Alexandre Trudeau to appear before a parliamentary committee to answer questions? asked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in the House.
“Why do the Conservatives want to continue to spend their time attacking me and my family instead of talking about the budget and the issues facing Canadians? replied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
On Monday, however, the parliamentary committee investigating the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau Foundation and allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections voted unanimously to invite witnesses to two sessions, but no elected officials or members of the Trudeau family.
“It was part of the deal. […] If we did not agree to abandon the Trudeau family, the Liberals would not have accepted [la motion] and would have obstructed,” reports Bloc Québécois MP Nathalie Sinclair Desgagné, member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
Joined by The duty, the Liberal MP who pulled off this compromise, Peter Fragiskatos, explains that the presence of members of the Trudeau family would have caused the debates to drift towards a “political theater”, even “a farce”. What if the prime minister’s brother volunteers himself? “The committee would review the request,” he said.