Evidence of meeting #125 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 anderson.
A recording is available from Parliament.
As an Individual
There were no other partners listed on the registry, just me.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
There were no other partners in GH and in GHI. You have a partner call. You've only ever had one partner on the record, and that was Randy Boissonnault.
As an Individual
We had managing directors in the company who were not owners.
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
—so who joins your partner call? You're not going on a call by yourself. Come on, Stephen.
As an Individual
No. There were five individuals who would be involved in any decision or deal that we were making.
As an Individual
One was Shawna Parker. One was Felix Papineau. One was Edward, and the last one I won't name. I simply will not name them, just based on the turmoil that I have gone through, which I don't want them going through.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
I put to you that your turmoil is becoming more complicated with your testimony. You have the opportunity to put this to rest right now. You could have done it three months ago. I don't want to be here. You could have brought out the other Randy and just laid all of this to rest, but here we are.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative John Brassard
Mr. Green, you're over time.
Mr. Lloyd, you have five minutes. Go ahead, sir.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Anderson, you expect this committee to believe that you autocorrected at least eight times. We have text message evidence that you used the term “Randy” at least eight times, and you expect us to believe that you autocorrected eight times without correcting yourself even once.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Now, do you think that the Ghaoui Group would be wondering to themselves who this Randy fellow is if there were no Randy involved in your company? You're sending all these text messages referencing a "Randy". Why didn't the Ghaoui Group ever ask who this "Randy" person they're dealing with if it was an autocorrect?
As an Individual
The Ghaoui Group, in our entire relation from...I think we started communicating in August 2022 right up until just this past Friday with the Ghaoui Group. They were not involved with any communication or linkage to Randy Boissonnault.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
However, it was their understanding that this Randy Boissonnault was a public official. This other Randy you're referencing, the person you won't name, are they a public official?
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Okay.
Now, you already admitted to this committee, to the country, that you lied to Global News when you told them that there was a Randy who was the head of logistics, and you expect this committee to believe that you had eight autocorrects that went uncorrected. Why should we believe you now?
As an Individual
I'm a private citizen. I have nothing to hide or protect. I'm not...I don't.... I consider Randy Boissonnault a friend, a colleague of mine I met a handful of times. We never hung out publicly. If Randy Boissonnault were involved, I would tell you. He has not been involved since September.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
However, we have been here for three months. As my colleague said, you could have quite easily put this to rest three months ago and told us it was an autocorrect. This turmoil you speak of, which you have gone through and you do not want to put this unnamed individual through, is entirely a creation of your obfuscation of the facts and of your hiding the identity of this person. If you had said the name of this person a couple of months ago there would have been no turmoil, so why did you hide this?
You said you panicked on the phone when you got the call from Global News saying, “Who's the other Randy?” What did you have to panic about if you had nothing to hide? You just said you had nothing to hide. You would tell us. Why didn't you tell Global News, then, the truth? What did you have to hide? Why did you panic?
As an Individual
Mr. Chair, it wasn't panicking about Global News. I had been told and contacted by Global News previously that Global News was working on a story in relation to ongoing litigation with Global Health Imports, that the linkage between Minister Boissonnault...he was still listed as a partner within the Alberta filings and it had not been removed, but it was removed from the federal filings. Based on the litigation that was going on with the Ghaoui Group, on our advice of counsel we were instructed not to speak to them.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
You panicked, but you could have just as easily given the media an easy answer. “It's not Randy Boissonnault. It's not anyone named Randy. In fact, it's this other person.” However, you led us on this merry chase for three months. It was not merry for you, unfortunately, but you're the cause of your own misfortune here, sir.
With that, I will give my last minute to Mr. Brock.
Thank you.