Métis MPs are calling on the Minister of Employment to resign over harmful false claims about Indigenous ancestry.
Randy Boissonneau has been described multiple times in communications from the Liberal Party as an Indigenous person.
At a 2018 Heritage Committee meeting, he referred to himself as a “non-status adopted Cree from Alberta,” adding that his great-grandmother was a “full-blooded Cree woman.” This is a statement he has repeated on other occasions.
After a National Post report revealed that a company he co-owns had applied for government contracts while claiming to be Indigenous-owned, he recently walked back those statements and said his family is from Alberta. He said he belongs to the province’s Métis tribe.
The opposition Conservative Party focused its attacks on Boissonneau and his claims during question period on Monday and Tuesday, demanding his removal.
NDP MP Blake Desjarlais also joined those calls Tuesday. Desjarlais, who is Métis, told reporters on Tuesday that people riding horses at Boissonneau’s Edmonton center were “disconcerted” by the deaths of Indigenous people in the incident.
“The racial changes that are happening right now are very worrying,” DesJarlais said.
“If he does not resign, it is the prime minister’s duty to get rid of such a person.”
When asked about calls for his resignation on Tuesday, Boissonneau’s spokesperson said he “remains focused on serving the people of Edmonton and all Canadians.”
Randy Boissonneau, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, speaks at a press conference in Ottawa on Monday, November 4, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick/AP Photo)
Last week, he apologized, saying he “wasn’t as clear as I wanted to be about who I am and my family’s history,” adding that he was learning about his family’s heritage “in real time.”
The company, which Boissonneau founded before his re-election in 2021, has been under intense scrutiny for months. The Conservatives claim he continued to work for the company while serving as a cabinet minister. Mr. Boissonneau denied that.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett said last week that Mr Boissonneau should testify before the Ethics Committee about his claim to Indigenous identity in order to “answer honestly to these serious allegations of fraud”.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier Tuesday that Boissonneau answered questions about his identity and said a “very important” part of reconciliation is allowing Indigenous communities and people to participate in the economy.
“The issue of identity is a very sensitive issue for the federal government,” he said.
“It is much more important that Indigenous communities themselves make decisions based on the frameworks and rules that they have, and we will continue to work with them on those.”
Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, who was repeatedly pressed on the issue before the House of Commons committee reviewing Indigenous procurement, did not say whether she thought Boissonneau should remain in the cabinet.
“Minister, I think you say a lot by not saying much,” said Conservative MP Garnet Genuis.
Desjarlais said Hajdu’s non-response on the matter makes it clear that the government’s intention is to “cover up the issue.”
At the heart of the concerns raised about Boissonneau in recent weeks is the Liberal government’s Indigenous business directory.
The current list includes the names of companies that the federal government can consider to meet its Indigenous procurement goals, and states that at least 5 per cent of total government contracts should be held by Indigenous-owned businesses. has been done. But some people have complained that the list includes companies that shouldn’t be included.
Mr. Hajdu told the committee that the company founded by Mr. Boissonneau was not listed on that directory.
Shanin Metatawabin, chief executive officer of the National Association of Indigenous Capital Corporations, told the committee in late October about “scams that are siphoning billions of dollars out of less than $22 billion of Indigenous businesses.” . The government spends money on goods and services every year. ”
“The numbers are grim, but the impact is also significant. Fraudulent procurement claims deny opportunity and hinder the growth, job creation and economic stability of Indigenous communities,” Metatawabin told MPs.
He called for the Indigenous Business List to be transferred to Indigenous organizations, including his own.
Hajdu has long said changes were coming to the roster.
He said in June that discussions were ongoing about which group should take over and monitor the list, saying there were disagreements over who should be the “custodian” of the list and who should be on it. pointed out.
Part of the problem is that national Indigenous organizations, including the Congress of First Nations, Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, don’t always agree on who is Indigenous.
For example, the Assembly of First Nations called on Canada to halt negotiations with the Métis Nation of Ontario on the grounds that the group represents people who are not legally Métis. The state organization has continually advocated for its members.
Hajdu said Tuesday there was no consensus yet.
Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, who is Métis, said Boissonneau had been a “constant ally” to the Free and Indigenous Caucus and Indigenous Party members. Other Liberal MPs questioned by reporters agreed that Boissonneau should remain in the cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 19, 2024.
