Windsor West MP Brian Masse is shining a light on how the WE Charity scandal in Ottawa is impacting the local Summer Student jobs program
Masse says the program is chronically under funded and he would like to see a portion of the $912-million WE charity contract redirected to get more students working.
According to Masse, in his riding alone, there were 484 job applications, but funding was only provided for 300.
"We have programs that have been vetted for summer students that aren't getting jobs. Every year our ridings down here as MPs receive money for summer jobs and they are vetted programs the provide good experience for students in the public and not-for profit sector and every year we're short money," he says.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will testify today at the House of Commons finance committee which is looking into the circumstances leading to the Liberal government asking WE Charity to oversee a volunteer program that would provide grants to students left jobless because of COVID-19.
Both Trudeau's family and that of Finance Minister Bill Morneau have ties to the organization.
Masse, a New Democrat, says because he is never given enough funding for jobs that have already been approved, he always has to look at cuts.
"We have to reduce hours, we have to reduce jobs from an organization, it's a full vetted and accountable process that has big name charities, big name association, big name employers and why the Prime Minister would depart to use WE Charity is a scandal in itself," he says.
Masse says the simple solution in his opinion would be to use the money Trudea was willing to pay WE and use it for the existing programming.
“The reality behind it though and the opportunity is the amount of positions, 484 that were requested and we could only approve 300 because there's not enough money. That means nearly 200 students could get a job immediately with not cost and no administration fee if the Prime Minister would just take back his position on WE," he says.
Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre says he wants the prime minister to be honest and forthcoming about the initial decision to give the organization the sole-sourced contract.