Boissonnault out of cabinet after shifting claims about Indigenous heritage

Alberta MP Randy Boissonnault has made the decision to step down from his cabinet position following allegations surrounding his business dealings and controversies regarding his claims about his Indigenous ancestry. This move comes after discussions with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has agreed that Boissonnault should focus on addressing the allegations made against him.

In a statement released by a spokesperson for the Prime Minister, it was announced that Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor will temporarily take on Boissonnault’s responsibilities in the areas of employment and workforce development, as well as official languages.

Boissonnault has been under scrutiny for several months, with the House of Commons ethics committee investigating whether he maintained ties to a former business, Global Health Imports (GHI), after joining the Trudeau cabinet. The company, which Boissonnault co-founded during the pandemic, has previously bid on federal contracts, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Text messages revealed in legal proceedings have indicated that Boissonnault’s former business partner, Stephen Anderson, may have been referencing him in business discussions, leading to questions about whether Boissonnault was still involved in the company while serving as a cabinet minister. Boissonnault has vehemently denied any ongoing involvement in GHI since his re-election in 2021, attributing any references to him in business dealings to Anderson’s actions without his consent.

The situation escalated when it was reported that GHI had claimed Indigenous ownership while bidding for a federal contract in 2020. Boissonnault faced criticism for inconsistencies in his claims about his Indigenous heritage, prompting him to issue an apology for the confusion surrounding his family members’ backgrounds. Despite previous affiliations with the Liberal Party’s Indigenous caucus, Boissonnault clarified that he had never formally identified as Indigenous within the party and had transitioned away from the caucus upon joining the cabinet.

Boissonnault had previously spoken publicly about his adoptive great-grandmother’s Cree heritage, but his office later clarified that her family actually had Métis roots. Boissonnault’s past statements regarding his Cree ancestry were based on his long-standing beliefs, highlighting the complexity of his personal background.

Overall, Boissonnault’s resignation from cabinet reflects a commitment to addressing the controversies surrounding his business dealings and Indigenous heritage claims. The temporary reassignment of his portfolio responsibilities aims to ensure continuity in government operations while he addresses the allegations against him.