Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologized for not recusing himself from the government's decision to have WE Charity manage a $900-million student-aid program, saying his family's longtime involvement with the organization should have kept him out of the discussions.

The surprise apology was an about-face for the prime minister after weeks of defending the sole-sourced contract with WE, and followed revelations the organization had paid his wife, brother and mother for appearing at different events over the years.

Opposition parties were unimpressed with the mea culpa and accused Trudeau of a pattern of trying to apologize for ethical lapses only after being caught.

Trudeau sought to face the controversy head on during a news conference outside his Ottawa home on Monday, days after WE confirmed it had paid his wife, brother and mother a combined $283,400, plus speaking-agency commissions, for a number of appearances at the organization's events.

Trudeau's mother Margaret was paid $250,000 for 28 speaking appearances at WE-related events between 2016 and 2020 while his brother Alexandre received $32,000 for eight events. Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau received $1,400 for a single appearance in 2012.

"I made a mistake in not recusing myself immediately from the discussions given our family's history and I'm sincerely sorry for not having done that," Trudeau said in reference to his cabinet's decision to award the contract to WE.

Trudeau said he was also sorry the delay in the Canada Student Services Grant caused by WE's eventual decision to withdraw from administering the program would harm students looking for ways to help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program, first announced by Trudeau in April before details were provided on June 25, was billed as a way for tens of thousands of students unable to find summer work to earn up to $5,000 toward their education costs if they volunteered the maximum 500 hours.

"Young people who are facing a difficult time right now getting summer jobs, contributing to their communities, are going to have to wait a little longer before getting those opportunities to serve, and that's frustrating," he said.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau also apologized in a statement Monday after it was revealed he also did not recuse himself from cabinet's discussions on the WE contract even though two of his daughters have been involved with the organization, including one who is employed there on a contract.

"I did not recuse myself from the discussions on this topic and, given the fact that my daughter works for the organization in an unrelated branch, I now realize I should have in order to avoid any perception of conflict," Morneau said.

"I apologize for not doing so and, moving forward, I will recuse myself from any future discussions related to WE."

The prime minister repeated his assertions that the federal public service recommended WE be enlisted to administer the program, in a contract he said was worth around $20 million to the organization.

"It was the public service that made the recommendation independently and that reassured us," Trudeau said in French. "But as we see now, I should have gone a little further and I should have withdrawn myself completely from these discussions."

The federal ethics commissioner Mario Dion is investigating the prime minister for a potential conflict of interest over the WE deal — the third such probe of Trudeau since he became prime minister in October 2015.