New text messages unearthed by Conservative MPs on the Commons ethics committee show Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault’s former business partner Stephen Anderson citing the name “Randy” in multiple text messages — a year after he claims he stopped working with the minister.
The opposition parties are looking into whether Boissonnault was continuing to do business with his previous company after being sworn into cabinet.
Cabinet ministers are forbidden from managing or operating a business or commercial activity.
Text messages brought forward at Wednesday’s ethics committee show nine text messages in which Anderson mentions a “Randy” in correspondence with Malvina Ghaoui, a businesswoman who has since sued Global Health Imports (GHI), the company co-founded by Boissonnault and Anderson.
In one text, Anderson mentions “Randy” being in Vancouver — at the same time Boissonnault was at a cabinet retreat in that city.
The text reads: “asking as west coast is closing in seven minutes and Randy is in the Vancouver office.”
Anderson, who was testifying at committee, insisted he was not referring to Boissonnault. He said all references to “Randy” were autocorrects but declined to share publicly the identity of the “Randy” mentioned in the texts.
“Every one of those nine (instances) is an autocorrect?” asked Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett.
“Yes,” said Anderson.
But none of the text brought forward at the committee hearing show Anderson correcting any autocorrects.
Anderson told Global News that there was a second Randy who was the head of GHI’s logistics — a claim he admitted was a lie during Wednesday’s committee hearing.
“I admit that I panicked,” said Anderson.
“So you lied,” said NDP ethics critic Matthew Green.
“To the reporter, I did,” said Anderson.
Speaking to reporters after the committee hearing, Green said Anderson is “a person who has had trouble telling the truth in the past.”
He said Anderson’s claim that all references to “Randy” were caused by autocorrect “just doesn’t make sense for anybody who has even a passing knowledge of technology.”
Anderson and Boissonnault have both said publicly that their business relationship ended in September 2021, when Boissonnault won his Edmonton seat. On Wednesday, Anderson said he has spoken with Boissonnault only a handful of times since he was re-elected to the House of Commons.
Recently, Canada’s ethics commissioner said he would not be pursuing an investigation into whether Boissonnault’s business dealings contravened the Conflict of Interest Act, following a review of the minister’s phone and text records.
“I no longer have concerns that you may have contravened your obligations under the Act and will take no further action at this time,” says the June 25 letter from Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein to Boissonnault.
But Green said that the commissioner’s investigative powers fall short because he is limited by the existing legislation.
“There needs to be more teeth to his office,” he said. “There needs to be, in my opinion, greater investigative tools for him to be able to get to the truth.”
Minister says he’s ‘deeply troubled’ by testimony
In a media statement, Boissonnault said he was “deeply troubled and disappointed” by Anderson’s testimony.
He said he has “unilaterally surrendered” his shares in GHI “for no compensation” and is no longer a stakeholder.
He insisted that he stopped working with GHI as of September 2021.
“If Mr. Anderson has subsequently been using my name without my consent to gain influence, he should simply explain that to the committee,” says Boissonnault’s statement.
Anderson has been ordered by the committee to provide responses by Friday to questions he declined to answer — including questions about the identity of the person he meant to name in the autocorrected messages.
The committee has also called on Boissonnault to appear again to discuss Anderson’s testimony in September.