Public records contradict Boissonnault business associate’s testimony to ethics committee

Liberal furniture curate Randy Boissonnault’s erstwhile business partner made respective statements to nan parliamentary morals committee that contradict nationalist records obtained by Global News.

Interviews, firm records and ineligible documents contradict immoderate cardinal facts of Stephen Anderson’s July 17 grounds astir Global Health Imports (GHI), nan institution he co-owned pinch Boissonnault until past month.

The statements see really galore group GHI employed and erstwhile it ceased operations.

Committee members questioned Anderson connected whether Boissonnault remained progressive successful nan aesculapian proviso business aft he joined cabinet, which would beryllium successful breach of national morals laws.

Anderson denied Boissonnault was progressive successful nan institution and said autocorrect caused him to reference “Randy” 9 times successful matter messages to a buyer. He besides admitted to lying to Global News astir nan personality of “Randy,” leaving immoderate committee members wary of nan truthfulness of his remarks.

“No 1 astatine this committee believes you. Canadians don’t judge you,” Larry Brock said during nan hearing.

If a personification deliberately misleads nan committee aliases fails to reply committee questions aliases supply documents, its members tin study it to nan House of Commons. MPs will past ballot connected whether to find a witnesser successful contempt of Parliament.

Conservative morals professional Michael Barrett said that Global News’ findings further bespeak Anderson “isn’t 1 to beryllium believed.”

“It tells america everything we request to cognize astir nan benignant of institution that Randy Boissonnault keeps,” he said.

Witnesses are expected to show nan truth erstwhile testifying, NDP morals professional Matthew Green told Global News.

“To study that he provided nan committee pinch incorrect accusation is very disappointing, but possibly not overly surprising,” he said.

Although rare, nan House tin publically subject personification recovered successful contempt of Parliament. This past happened erstwhile MPs called nan lead witnesser successful nan ArriveCan scandal into nan House aft he was recovered successful contempt.

Anderson did not admit Global News’ questions and requests for comment.

Global News antecedently reported connected texts Anderson sent to Malvina Ghaoui, main of The Ghaoui Group, connected Sept. 8, 2022. Those messages showed him consulting personification named “Randy” connected a business deal.

At nan clip nan messages were sent, Boissonnault was curate of tourism and subordinate curate of finance. He was a partner astatine GHI until September 2021 erstwhile he won backmost his Edmonton Centre seat. Boissonnault’s agency said he past resigned from nan company.

Ethics laws forbid nationalist agency holders from operating aliases managing businesses while successful office.

New texts mention ‘Randy’ six much times

In caller texts from Sept. 6, 2022 obtained by Global News, Anderson mentions “Randy” six much times, bringing nan full number of references to 9 crossed 2 days.

Boissonnault, now employment minister, denies he is nan “Randy” successful nan matter messages and said he has nary engagement successful GHI since his re-election.

The caller texts uncover Anderson was updating “Randy” via alleged telephone calls, texts, and emails astir nan position of nan transaction betwixt GHI and The Ghaoui Group, a California-based company. One matter mentions “Randy” being progressive successful a “partner vote” connected nan deal.

The messages besides spot “Randy” successful Vancouver astatine nan aforesaid clip Boissonnault was location for a furniture retreat. His agency antecedently said nan curate could not person communicated pinch Anderson that play because he was successful meetings successful Vancouver wherever each physics devices were confiscated.

“That peculiar portion of nan matter speech blows Mr. Boissonnault’s cover,” Green said.

Between Sept. 6 and Sept. 8, Anderson many times asked Ghaoui astir nan position of a $500,000 deposit her institution was to send.

“I person Randy and them I request to update,” he wrote connected Sept. 6, 2022. The adjacent matter reads: “Asking arsenic westbound seashore is closing successful 7 min and Randy is successful nan Vancouver office.”

Ian Stedman is an adjunct professor of morals and governance astatine York University

“That matter unsocial should make nan morals commissioner want to formally inquire immoderate questions,” he said.

The curate declined an question and reply pinch Global News. Alice Hansen, his head of communications, responded pinch a connection that did not reside questions astir nan Sept. 6 matter placing “Randy” successful Vancouver astatine nan aforesaid clip nan curate was there.

Boissonnault’s agency repeated its connection from July 17, successful which Boissonnault said he was “deeply troubled and disappointed” by Anderson’s grounds and accused him of utilizing his sanction “without his knowledge aliases consent.”

“If Mr. Anderson was successful truth referring to personification else, he should springiness that person’s sanction to nan committee,” Hansen wrote.

Anderson told nan committee GHI had offices successful Edmonton and Brossard, Que., not Vancouver.

Citing confidentiality, nan morals commissioner’s agency said it couldn’t remark connected whether nan agency intends to reopen its Boissonnault lawsuit file.

The curate had antecedently been taxable to a preliminary probe aft Global News reported connected nan matter messages from Sept. 8. In a June letter, Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein wrote he did not person immoderate accusation to support nan allegation that Boissonnault contravened nan Conflict of Interest Act on Sept. 8, 2022.

The business woody discussed successful nan texts is now nan taxable of a civilian fraud suit revenge successful Edmonton. The Ghaoui Group alleges Anderson and 2 of his labor committed fraud. All 3 contradict nan allegations, which are unproven.

Stedman said Anderson’s testimony, mixed pinch nan caller matter messages, reflects severely connected nan Liberals.

“This is not a bully look for (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau’s soul circle, peculiarly since he spent nan past 2 years navigating different scandals pinch members of his furniture and himself,” he said.

Barrett called for Boissonnault to beryllium removed from cabinet.

“It is beyond clip now for (Trudeau) to occurrence his curate from Edmonton,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment.

Public records contradict Anderson’s testimony

On July 17, Anderson — wearing a achromatic suit, Christian Louboutin footwear heels, and toting a ample Louis Vuitton container — was summoned to reply MPs’ cardinal question: Who is nan Randy successful nan texts?

In his astir two-hour agelong testimony, Anderson refused to say. He claimed if he identified nan personification — a female — nan media attraction could origin her harm. Instead, he offered to show members successful a backstage meeting. When astir refused, he said he would taxable nan sanction to nan clerk aft his testimony.

Anderson said Boissonnault was nan only personification named Randy ever employed astatine GHI. But he insisted that is not who he was referring to successful his texts to Ghaoui.

“Randy Boissonnault was ne'er progressive successful nan operating business of Global Health Imports aft September of 2021,” Anderson said repeatedly.

MPs past questioned Anderson astir his 2 businesses, GHI and Global Healthcare Solutions (GHS). GHI, which Anderson co-owned pinch Boissonnault until conscionable recently, bought and sold aesculapian supplies specified arsenic gloves and isolation gowns.

The curate surrendered his 50-per cent liking successful nan institution past period because his shareholder position was being politicized, his agency said.

It’s unclear what benignant of institution GHS is; it has nary online beingness and Anderson has not answered Global News’ questions astir it. Boissonnault said he has had nary liking aliases role.

It was during this statement of questioning that Anderson made claims that contradict nationalist records and Boissonnault’s ain statements.

He stated that GHI had 121 employees. However, Boissonnault said successful June, erstwhile he was moving nan company, GHI was mini — conscionable him, Anderson, and a fewer employees.

Curtis James, nan head of a packaging distribution institution successful nan adjoining storage analyzable that housed GHI until precocious 2022, scoffed astatine nan number and said GHI had “a half twelve (employees) astatine most.”

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A Linkedin hunt revealed less than 5 employees.

Anderson besides said The Ghaoui Group had a statement pinch some GHI and GHS. Court documents show GHS did not participate into an statement pinch The Ghaoui Group, only GHI did. In his sworn affidavit, Anderson said “neither I, nor GHS, are parties to these agreements.”

He told MPs GHI ceased operating and generating gross aft nan company’s storage was surgery into and a occurrence was deliberately group connected Sept. 25, 2022. Edmonton Police investigated but it was ne'er solved.

In consequence to a mobility from NDP MP Green astir whether he still receives a net aliases dividends, Anderson said, “There person been nary payments since September, since 2022, since nan incident that occurred successful Edmonton.”

“Because location has been nary business?” Green asks.

“The business hasn’t been operating since 2022,” Anderson said.

Anderson besides said this successful his sworn affidavit successful nan fraud lawsuit against him.

“The occurrence resulted successful nan suspension of GHI’s Medical Devices Establishment License (MDEL), crippled GHI’s expertise to run its business,” Anderson’s affidavit reads.

However, Global News recovered GHI continued to run and bid connected municipal and provincial contracts aft nan fire.

In October 2022, conscionable 2 weeks aft nan blaze, GHI was awarded a $8.2-million woody to proviso nan Quebec authorities pinch disinfectant wipes.

The adjacent month, Anderson began purchasing wipes from an Edmonton-based aesculapian supplier. Quebec’s authorities acquisitions centre said, arsenic of December 2023, GHI has been paid conscionable nether $100,000, but notes that location person been nary caller income this year.

The supplier, Canada Medical, sued GHI successful April 2023 for astir $65,000 successful alleged unpaid bills. It won by default because GHI did not record a defence. However, Carla Rodych, Canada Medical’s president, said they haven’t recouped nan money.

Canada Medical is 1 of six companies that has taken ineligible action against Anderson and GHI since 2021. The institution has mislaid 5 lawsuits by default and settled one. Boissonnault is not named successful immoderate of nan lawsuits.

In his opening statement, Anderson said that each business of which he has been a portion has been “ethical, legal, and wholly supra board.”

Rodych was shocked: “It seems he doesn’t understand what ‘ethical’ means.”

She points to his declare GHI unopen down successful September 2022 contempt nationalist records to nan contrary and nan “antics” she said he utilized to hold paying her company.

Anderson “consistently made excuses and lied to debar immoderate fiduciary responsibility,” she said.

GHI has besides continued to bid connected tenders crossed Canada. The institution has a bid presently nether information connected an Ontario authorities tender and past year, it bid connected contracts to proviso medical gloves to nan City of Hamilton and respirators to nan Yukon government.

While Anderson’s witnesser grounds earlier House committees was not nether oath, “lying earlier nan committee is contempt,” Tory morals professional Barrett said.

An honorable correction does not magnitude to contempt, but if a person’s behaviour obstructs aliases impedes nan functions of authorities aliases nan duties of MPs, aliases if their behaviour is recovered to beryllium violative to nan “authority aliases dignity of nan House,” they can beryllium recovered successful contempt.

Barrett said nan committee is already preparing a study to nan House because Anderson did not taxable records requested by nan committee by deadline.

Anderson was ordered to supply written responses to questions he refused to answer, including nan sanction of nan individual he was referring to successful nan texts, by Friday, July 19 astatine noon. The committee clerk did not respond to Global News’ enquiry into whether he had submitted nan name.

Boissonnault has been called to attest earlier nan committee again nan week of Sept. 16.

– pinch files from Patti Sonntag, Alex Boutilier, and Charles Rusnell.

If you person accusation for this story, aliases accusation for different story, please interaction maine successful assurance astatine krista.hessey@globalnews.ca