The demise of WE's Canadian operations won't take the heat off Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over his government's decision to hire the charity to run a now-defunct student volunteer program. NDP MP Charlie Angus says WE's announcement Wednesday that it is shuttering its Canadian operations only underscores the lack of due diligence done by the government before handing administration of the program over to an organization that was evidently in financial distress. However, the WE affair is likely to continue dogging the government when Parliament reopens on Sept. 23 with the demise of the organization's Canadian operations only adding fuel to the fire. WE said Wednesday it plans to lay off 115 Canadian staff and sell all its property in Canada in the coming months, including its landmark $15-million Global Learning Centre in downtown Toronto, which opened in 2017. Shutting down its Canadian operations "shows just how much trouble WE was in and how badly they needed this bailout from their Liberal friends," Angus said.

Source: CBC News September 10, 2020 20:37 UTC