Evidence of meeting #122 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was randy.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Mr. Chair, I have no operational role in this company. I do not know who this Randy is. It is not me, and it's clear in the article that it's not me.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, sir.
I'm going to take that as a request from Mr. Brock. Again, I'm going to ask the clerk to follow up on that request.
Liberal
Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
On a point of order, I would like to observe that a request from a member is not the same as a request from the committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
We can follow up and ask. If Mr. Boissonnault decides to submit to the request from Mr. Brock, he's capable of doing that. If he doesn't, it's up to the committee to determine which direction it's going to go on this, and that could include moving a motion on the matter. We can make the request. It's up to Mr. Boissonnault to submit to the request or not.
Mr. Housefather, you have three minutes. Go ahead, sir.
Liberal
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister Boissonnault, do you know what the 28th most popular boy's name was in 1956?
Liberal
Liberal
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
It is a lot of Randys.
Can I ask a question about your business? You were a businessman at a time when you were not in politics. When you earn income, does it always come all at once?
For example, let's say you set up a client and enter into a contract with a client. They buy goods, and they've committed to buy goods over a period of two years.
Would it not be normal that a salesperson or anybody who negotiated that agreement is paid over that extended period, whether or not they remained with the company, given that they were part of that initial agreement?
Liberal
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
All of these bombshells we've heard today about how there was a text message from somebody named Randy in Canada.... It's shocking. The idea that somebody could be paid deferred income because they were part of a company—they negotiated a deal and left the company—seems shocking to me.
Is this as shocking to you as it is to me?
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
After 20-some years in business, it's not shocking. It is a customary practice. The reason it's important that we have a really strong ethics regime is so that a third party neutral arbiter can look into those matters and make sure that they comply with the act.
That is exactly what I did. That is why the Ethics Commissioner said there was no need to look into my affairs.
Liberal
Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC
That's understandable.
The question came up here.... I totally understand we're in pride month. Can I ask you, briefly, how it made you feel when a member of Parliament earlier this week said he would vote against gay marriage?
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Thankfully, we're in a different time and a different place, where gay marriage is real. I can tell you that when that happened, it was one of the happiest days of my life. I ran in part because I could see the country changing, but I come from a province that still struggles with recognizing 2SLGBTQI people, and we have a long way to go.
This Conservative Party is not clear on the record as to how it would support trans people, gender non-binary people and LGBTQI people, and I have grave concerns that a future Conservative government under Pierre Poilievre would suspend my rights using the notwithstanding clause in the charter.
Liberal
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Okay. Thank you, Mr. Housefather.
That concludes our first panel for today.
Minister, I want to thank you for taking the time to appear before the committee.
I'm going to suspend while we switch over and have the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner appear before us.
The meeting is suspended. Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
We're going to resume now.
Our next panel is from the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.
I would like to welcome the commissioner, Konrad von Finckenstein, and also Lyne Robinson-Dalpé, director of advisory and compliance.
Commissioner, the floor is yours for up to five minutes.
Go ahead, sir.
Konrad von Finckenstein Commissioner, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for inviting me.
With me today is my colleague Lyne Robinson‑Dalpé.
As we join you today, I recognize the weight of responsibility entrusted upon our Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and the work of this committee. Our democracy relies fundamentally on the integrity and transparency of its elected and appointed officials and our ability to safeguard public trust.
It is with these principles in mind that I see the twofold purpose of the regimes we administer. One is to help public officials avoid and manage their conflicts of interest and the second is to facilitate the movement of qualified people in and out of the public service.
Qualified, competent, experienced people who are called to public service may well face conflicts of interest. That's not unusual. The issue is how to avoid and manage those conflicts and to protect the integrity of officials and the institutions they serve.
Minister Boissonnault is an example of someone who has moved in and out of public service, and back again. Upon his first election as a member of Parliament in 2015, he complied with the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons. He also complied with the Conflict of Interest Act when later appointed as parliamentary secretary.
Between 2019 and 2021, when he was not an elected or an appointed official, he resumed work with Xennex Venture Catalysts Inc., which I'll call Xennex hereafter. It's a company that was incorporated in 2000 of which he owns 100% of the shares. It is a management consulting company that gained a contract to lobby on behalf of the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority.
The minister resigned as director of Xennex when he was re-elected and again became subject to the code as a member and subject to the act as a minister.
Kirsten Poon became the director of Xennex and continued to lobby in the Xennex name on behalf of the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority until June 21. After that day, the lobbying was done in her own company's name, 2050877 Alberta Ltd., operating under the name of Navis.
Minister Boissonnault received no remuneration from Xennex after being elected and appointed minister. However, he disclosed to us that he was owed an outstanding business income from Navis. That amount was subsequently paid by Navis to Xennex.
Minister Boissonnault has 100% interest in 2256956 Alberta Limited. It in turn owns 50% of an affiliated company called Global Health Imports. His ownership of Xennex, his ownership of 2256956 Alberta Limited and his indirect partial ownership of Global Health Imports were all disclosed to my office. There is no disclosed evidence that the ownership of these companies creates any conflict of interest. He complied with the rules under the act and the code.
Considering the information that the minister has disclosed to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, it appears he has complied with the requirements of the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons and the Conflict of Interest Act related to matters involving his companies and consequently there is no need to commence an examination.
We are in the process of the usual annual review process with the minister and will be looking at all his updated disclosures with the office.
Both Ms. Robinson-Dalpé and I are here to answer any questions you may have regarding the compliance process of the work and how we handled the file of Mr. Boissonnault.
Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Thank you, Commissioner.
We're going to start with our first round.
Just for the benefit of committee, I did say I was going to leave a little bit of time at the end to discuss the question that was brought up at the beginning of the meeting by Mr. Bains. I am going to give us enough time to discuss it.
Mr. Barrett, you have six minutes. Go ahead.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
This morning there were revelations in a Global News article that Minister Randy Boissonnault may have been party to what's been described by some as wire fraud to the tune of half a million dollars as it relates to his business partner, Mr. Stephen Anderson. Text messages included in the media report detailed someone named Randy who was not pleased with the delay of this half-a-million-dollar wire transfer with a company out of California. In the text messages, Randy demands “a partner call” with Stephen Anderson.
Minister Randy Boissonnault has said today that he wholly owns a company that owns 50% of GHI. Mr. Anderson, to his knowledge, owns the other half. Minister Boissonnault contends that he is not the Randy involved in these text messages.
Having made a pronouncement, following a complaint, that you weren't going to pursue an investigation, does the emergence of new information, generally—and does the information in this article today, if you've read it—give rise to a re-examination of your decision? Finally, have you reviewed the allegations that were reported in the media this morning?
Commissioner, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner
Mr. Barrett, like you, I read the story this morning for the very first time. It's complete news to me. I never knew anything about it. It obviously raises some serious implications, if the story is true. You heard what the minister said.
The ruling that we made was based on the information that he disclosed to us, which was with regard to GHI, that he owned 50% through his numbered company.
Clearly, we will look into this. If our looking into it shows that there's more to it, that there is substance to it, that there may be contraventions of either the act or the policy act, then, of course, we will have to look. I have the capacity to self-initiate another inquiry and look into it.
At this point in time, I am really caught by surprise. I didn't know about it until I read it this morning. I don't know what to say. I heard the minister's testimony. I think it would be absolutely irresponsible to make a premature decision as to what we're going to do and how. All I can tell you is that we will look into it.
Conservative
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
I think that's entirely fair, sir. It was new information. Just like you, we prepare for committee based on the information that we have. Finding that information or those allegations two hours in advance creates a challenging environment.
You expressed that the allegations in it were serious and new. Is it correct to understand that Minister Boissonnault didn't previously disclose that circumstance to you, that you will be investigating these new allegations and that, if necessary, you would self-initiate an investigation?