Minister of Employment Apologizes for Changing Claims of Indigenous Heritage

November 15, 2024 TruthUSA

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault has issued an apology after facing criticism over inconsistencies in his claims of indigenous heritage.

During a press conference in Edmonton on Nov. 15, the minister expressed regret for not being more transparent about his family’s indigenous background. He also requested the Liberal Party to correct any references that incorrectly identified him as indigenous.

“I offer my sincere apology and will leave it at that,” he stated.

While Boissonnault has never explicitly stated that he is indigenous, he had previously described himself as a “non-status adopted Cree from Alberta,” mentioning that his great-grandmother was a “full-blooded Cree woman.”

The apology comes after reports emerged that a company Boissonnault once co-owned falsely claimed to be indigenous-owned while bidding on federal contracts without his authorization.

According to the National Post on Nov. 7, documents revealed that Boissonnault’s former business partner, Stephen Anderson, portrayed Global Health Imports Corporation as a “wholly-owned Indigenous and LGBTQ company” when vying for a 2020 contract to supply face masks.

According to federal procurement regulations, only businesses listed on an official registry of eligible indigenous-owned companies can identify themselves as “Aboriginal” to the government. Global Health Imports was not included on this list.

In a statement on Nov. 8, Boissonnault accused Anderson of using his name without consent to wrongly advance personal interests over an extended period.

“Regarding my own heritage, the family that adopted me has Indigenous ancestry, with my adopted mother and brother both having Métis status,” he clarified. “Although I do not have status myself, I have supported Indigenous causes as an ally during my time as an MP.”

Anderson did not respond to previous requests for comment from The Epoch Times.

In his statement, Boissonnault condemned the practice of non-indigenous individuals falsely claiming indigenous status to gain access to government programs, calling it “wrong and deeply harmful to Indigenous communities.”

Call for Resignation

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has demanded Boissonnault’s resignation, accusing him of dishonesty. “He lies about who he is. Lies about who he isn’t,” Poilievre posted on X social media on Nov. 14. “He must resign.”

The Conservatives’ ethics critic Michael Barrett has called for Boissonnault to testify again before the Commons ethics committee. The minister has previously appeared before the committee multiple times in relation to three investigations by the federal ethics commissioner regarding his ties to Global Health Imports.

The initial investigation began after Global News reported in May that Boissonnault was listed as a director of the company while in office. Boissonnault maintained that he was a partner until his election in September 2021 and had resigned from the company to comply with ethics regulations.

A second preliminary inquiry was launched in June following reports of text messages from Anderson in September 2022 referring to “Randy” and requesting a “partner call.”

Anderson testified before the ethics committee on July 17, claiming that the use of the name “Randy” was an autocorrect mistake and the messages were meant for another colleague. The ethics commissioner opted not to pursue a formal investigation after reviewing the matter.

The third investigation was initiated in August following the discovery of additional text messages from Sept. 6, 2022, in which Anderson mentioned updating “Randy” about a business deal. The ethics commissioner concluded the investigation, finding no evidence of Boissonnault’s involvement in the deal while serving in the cabinet.

Matthew Horwood and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

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