Cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault apologizes over Indigenous identity claims

Canada’s Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault is apologizing aft shifting claims of his Indigenous individuality came nether scrutiny.

The Edmonton Liberal subordinate of Parliament says he’s atrocious helium hasn’t been wide astir who helium is and his family’s past and that he’s inactive learning astir his heritage.

Boissonnault has antecedently referred to himself arsenic “non-status adopted Cree from Alberta” and said his great-grandmother was a “full-blooded Cree woman.”

The apology comes aft reports that a institution co-owned by Boissonnault unsuccessfully bid connected 2 national contracts portion identifying itself arsenic Indigenous and Aboriginal-owned.

Global News antecedently reported that the institution successful question, Global Health Imports (GHI), has faced ineligible trouble successful caller years, including allegations of civilian fraud. Boissonnault’s erstwhile concern partner, Stephen Anderson, has been moving the institution since the autumn of 2021, erstwhile Boissonnault says helium resigned pursuing his re-election.

Boissonnault is not named successful immoderate of the lawsuits and Anderson denies the fraud allegations, which stay unproven successful court.

Boissonnault says helium ne'er claimed Indigenous presumption to Anderson, and helium corrected the Liberal enactment arsenic soon arsenic helium became alert of its nationalist assertion that he’s Indigenous.

The Conservative enactment has called for Boissonnault to attest for a 3rd clip earlier the morals committee and reply for what it calls superior allegations of fraud.

Committee members besides said they privation to inquire Boissonnault astir newly-disclosed substance messages, recently reported by Global News, that person raised much questions astir Boissonnault’s imaginable engagement successful GHI portion successful office, which is not allowed nether morals rules.

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Boissonnault maintains helium has had nary engagement successful GHI’s concern portion successful furniture and accuses Anderson of utilizing his sanction without his support aft helium resigned.

— with files from Krista Hessey