During their opening statement as part of a House of Commons finance committee hearing on Tuesday, WE Charity’s co-founders and brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger defended what they billed as the good intentions behind a sole-sourced contract for their group to administer a federal student service grant program worth nearly a billion dollars.

Administering that program would have seen the organization receive some $43 million. It has already received roughly $30 million of that but says it will repay the amount in full.

The brothers said that money would be to cover expenses incurred in setting up the program and not as a benefit to themselves and their organization. They added that by returning the money they have received so far, the group will be out roughly $5 million.

“Some have suggested that WE Charity was in dire financial straits prior to the CSSG and that somehow motivated our actions. It simply isn’t true,” said Craig Kielburger.

WE Charity backed out of administering the program in early July amid a controversy over the Liberals’ awarding the organization a sole-sourced contract despite its close ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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