Liberal MPs are rejecting opposition attempts to call Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault’s business partners to testify before the parliamentary ethics committee, saying Conservative members are abusing the committee’s powers.
“This is not a responsible way to approach this. “If we let the ethics commissioner investigate this matter, that might be the most responsible approach,” Liberal MP Iqra Khalid said in committee Tuesday.
She argued against witnesses who appeared before the committee and a previous amendment to the motion that would have forced Stephen Anderson, co-owner of Global Health Imports (GHI) with Boissonnault, to turn over a list of current and former employees of the company. medical. supplier company.
“Asking an employer to reveal the identities of every employee their company has ever had… is the definition of excess,” Khalid said.
NDP and Conservative committee members accused Liberal members of obstructing the vote on the motion introduced June 4 by Conservative MP Michael Barrett. The ethics committee was suspended for the second time this week before a vote could be taken.
“The Liberals are going back and forth, trying to make excuses and muddy the waters to say, ‘Okay, well, phone records, but no witnesses,'” Conservative MP Damien Kurek said at the committee Tuesday. “It all comes down to one very, very, very simple question: Who is this individual referring 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 Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance at the time.
In the text exchange obtained by Global News, Anderson urged Ghaoui to put down a $500,000 deposit for a large shipment of nitrile gloves Ghaoui was going to purchase from GHI. Anderson apparently messaged him directly from a frustrated “Randy” asking why the money hadn’t been sent yet.
When asked if he worked with another Randy, Anderson said yes, but did not reveal the employee’s full name. Global News was unable to verify any details related to a second GHI employee named Randy.
Since then, Anderson has not responded to questions about the identity of this other Randy. Boissonnault said he has had no relationship with GHI since he was elected in September 2021.
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The minister continues to own a 50 percent stake in GHI, according to corporate records. His shares are held in a company number, 2256956 Alberta Ltd. Anderson owns the other half of the company.
He Conflict of interest law allows public officials to own businesses, but they can break 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 “direct, direct questions” during the hearing left him with more questions.
“I found him evasive at times, maybe even a little arrogant, given the seriousness of this,” Green said in an interview Monday.
He supports the conservative motion calling for Anderson and Kirsten Poon, a lobbyist linked 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 was amended on Monday to exclude both. to appear. as witnesses.
Khalid filed an amendment Tuesday that would force Anderson to turn over his phone records and text messages, rather than a list of employees. The amendment was approved.
Conservative members said that would be inappropriate given the large number 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 apps.” He also said that Boissonnault should also provide this material to the committee. The meeting was adjourned before the change could be voted on.
Following the Global News report, Canada’s ethics commissioner opened a file to investigate the matter. Boissonnault said he resigned from GHI when he regained his seat at Edmonton Center in September 2021.
“He has had no role in the company’s operations since then, is not aware of any business dealings or issues with the company or its current employees, and has received no income or dividends from the company since he was elected,” Alice wrote . Hansen, communications director at Boissonnault, in an earlier statement.
When a file is opened, the Office of the Ethics and Conflict of Interest 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 deemed unwarranted, the file is closed,” wrote Michael Wrobel, a spokesman 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 that “the other Randy” stand up and show himself.
Boissonnault’s office argues that he could not have sent the text messages because he was in Vancouver at a cabinet retreat on September 8, 2022, the date the text exchange occurred.
“During cabinet retreats, all electronic devices are prohibited from entering meeting rooms and ministers were locked in throughout the day,” Hansen wrote in a statement.
However, Global News journalists present at the cabinet retreat said there is nothing stopping ministers from leaving meetings to check their devices, which are also returned during various breaks throughout the day.
The exchange of text messages and the alleged “couple call” occurred between 12:15 pm PST and 1:00 pm PST, around the time lunch would normally occur.
Hansen said Boissonnault shared personal and government phone records with the ethics commissioner, as well as the minister’s entire agenda for that day.
Hansen declined to share the program with Global News, saying they are “secret security classified” and therefore cannot be shared with the media.
He said the minister’s phone records, which have not been seen by Global News, reflect that Boissonnault received no phone calls between 11:12 a.m. PST and 5:37 p.m. PST.
— with files from Patti Sonntag
