Liberal MPs are rejecting Opposition efforts to call Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault’s business associates to testify before the parliamentary ethics committee, saying Conservative members are abusing committee powers.
“This is not a responsible way of going about this. If we were to let the ethics commissioner look into this matter, that might be the more responsible approach,” Liberal MP Iqra Khalid said in committee on Tuesday.
She argued against witnesses appearing before the committee and a previous amendment to the motion that would’ve forced Stephen Anderson, who co-owns a Global Health Imports (GHI) with Boissonnault, to hand over a list of current and former employees of the medical supply company.
“Asking an employer to reveal the identities of every single employee his company has ever had…It is the definition of overboard,” Khalid said.
NDP and Conservative members of the committee accused Liberal members of filibustering the vote on the motion put forward on June 4 by Tory MP Michael Barrett. The ethics committee was suspended for the second time this week before a vote could be held.
“The Liberals are doing backflips, trying to make excuses and muddy the waters to say, ‘Okay, well, phone records, but not witnesses,” Tory MP Damien Kurek said in committee on Tuesday. “It all comes down to a very, very, very simple question: Who is this individual referred to as ‘Randy’ in these text messages?”
Last week, Global News reported that someone named “Randy” had allegedly sent messages to Anderson instructing him on how to handle a business transaction in September 2022. Boissonnault was tourism minister and associate finance minister at the time.
In the text exchange obtained by Global News, Anderson urged Ghaoui to wire a $500,000 deposit for a large shipment of nitrile gloves Ghaoui was to purchase from GHI. Anderson apparently forwarded her a message directly from a frustrated “Randy” asking him why the money hadn’t been sent yet.
When asked if he worked with another Randy, Anderson stated that he did but would not disclose the employee’s full name. Global News was unable to verify any details related to a second employee at GHI named Randy.
Anderson has not since responded to questions about this other Randy’s identity. Boissonnault said he has had no involvement with GHI since he was elected in September 2021.
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The minister continues to own a 50-per cent stake in GHI, according to corporate records. His shares are held by a numbered company, 2256956 Alberta Ltd. Anderson owns the other half of the company.
The Conflict of Interest Act allows public officeholders to own companies, but they can run afoul of the law if they operate or manage businesses while in office.
Testifying before the committee last Tuesday, Boissonnault repeatedly denied that he was the “Randy” mentioned in the text exchange and said he had followed all ethics rules to the letter of the law.
“I have had no operational involvement in this company since I was elected,” Boissonnault said.
NDP MP Matthew Green said Boissonnault’s unwillingness to answer “straight and direct questions” during the hearing left him with more questions.
“I found him to be evasive at times, perhaps even a bit arrogant, given the seriousness of this,” Green said in an interview on Monday.
He supports the Conservative motion which calls for Anderson and Kirsten Poon, a lobbyist with ties to Boissonnault, to appear before the ethics committee.
It initially called for “the other Randy” to testify before the committee, along with Malvina Ghaoui, owner of The Ghaoui Group, a California-based personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement company, but it was amended on Monday to exclude both from appearing as witnesses.
Khalid put forward an amendment on Tuesday that would force Anderson to hand over his phone records and text messages, rather than an employee list. The amendment passed.
Conservative members said that would be inadequate due to the plethora of messaging apps available.
Barrett proposed an amendment requesting that the language be changed to include “iMessages and all instant messages and calls from all applications.” He also said Boissonnault should provide this material to the committee, too. The meeting was suspended before the change could be voted on.
Following Global News’ reporting, Canada’s ethics commissioner opened a case file to look into the matter. Boissonnault said he resigned from GHI when he won back his Edmonton Centre seat in September 2021.
“He has had no role in the operations of the company since that time, has no insights into any business dealings or issues with the company or its current employees, and has received no income or dividends from the company since being elected,” wrote Alice Hansen, Boissonnault’s director of communications, in a prior statement.
When a case file is opened, the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner conducts a preliminary review.
“Some of these reviews may lead to investigations if the Commissioner has reasonable grounds to investigate. When an investigation is not found to be warranted, the case file is closed,” wrote Michael Wrobel, a spokesperson for the ethics commissioner’s office.
The text messages have been the subject of much debate and spectacle in the House of Commons, with Opposition MPs demanding “the other Randy” stand up and show himself.
Boissonnault’s office argues that he couldn’t have sent the text messages because he was in Vancouver at a cabinet retreat on Sept. 8, 2022, the date the text exchange occurred.
“During cabinet retreats, all electronic devices are prohibited from entering meeting rooms, and Ministers were in lock-up throughout the day,” Hansen wrote in a statement.
However, Global News reporters present at the cabinet retreat said that nothing prevents ministers from exiting meetings to check their devices, which are also returned during several breaks throughout the day.
The text exchange and alleged “partner call” occurred between 12:15 pm PST and 1:00 pm PST, around the time lunch would typically occur.
Hansen said Boissonnault shared both personal and government phone records with the ethics commissioner, as well as the minister’s full schedule for that day.
Hansen refused to share the schedule with Global News, saying they are “of secret security classification” and therefore cannot be shared with the media.
She said the minister’s phone records, which have not been viewed by Global News, reflect that Boissonnault had no phone calls between 11:12 a.m. PST and 5:37 p.m. PST.
— with files from Patti Sonntag