Trudeau offers words of support to embattled minister Randy Boissonnault

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau connected Tuesday expressed enactment for his embattled Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault connected the sidelines of the G20 Summit successful Brazil.

Reporters astatine the acme pressed Trudeau to explicate wherefore helium maintains assurance successful Boissonnault successful airy of caller fraud allegations made against Boissonnault’s erstwhile concern spouse and different accusations that Boissonnault misrepresented his family’s Indigenous ancestry.

“Minister Boissonnault has addressed these and volition proceed to reply straight for those,” Trudeau told reporters.

“In the meantime, I’m blessed that helium is continuing to pb connected issues astir jobs and employment and correspond Alberta successful our government.”

Trudeau’s remarks successful Rio de Janeiro travel a time aft Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre suggested successful the House of Commons that Trudeau should occurrence Boissonnault arsenic controversies astir him grow.

Stephen Anderson, Boissonnault’s erstwhile concern spouse successful a aesculapian proviso company, is facing respective lawsuits amid allegations of fraud. Boissonnault has said repeatedly helium has has thing to bash with the concern since helium resigned successful the autumn of 2021, erstwhile helium was re-elected arsenic MP for Edmonton Centre.

Boissonnault is not named successful immoderate of the lawsuits and Anderson denies the fraud allegations.

Boissonnault and Anderson founded Global Health Imports (GHI) successful aboriginal 2020. Boissonnault said helium resigned from GHI upon his re-election and assignment to cabinet.

Anderson besides claimed GHI was a “wholly Indigenous-owned” institution successful unsuccessful bids connected national contracts successful 2020, the National Post reported earlier this month.

The curate denied ever claiming helium was Indigenous and said Anderson made “false representations” astir the institution without his consent and knowledge.

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Boissonnault held a 50 per cent involvement successful GHI until precocious June, erstwhile helium “surrendered” his shares, efficaciously cutting ties with Anderson and GHI.

Boissonnault has faced scrutiny this week implicit past statements helium made identifying himself arsenic a “non-status adopted Cree.” He aboriginal clarified his adoptive household had Métis ancestry.

Last week, the curate apologized for not being cautious capable astir however helium characterized the inheritance of radical successful his family, adding helium was inactive learning astir it.

When asked astir companies falsely claiming Indigeneity to leverage a authorities programme designed to boost First Nations, Inuit and Métis businesses, Trudeau said it is “extremely important” that portion of reconciliation is empowering Indigenous communities.

“The question of individuality is an highly delicate 1 for the national authorities to measurement successful on. It is overmuch much important that Indigenous communities themselves marque determinations astir the model and the rules they have, and we volition proceed to enactment with them connected those,” Trudeau added.

–With files from David Akin