Information & Ethics Committee on Sept. 19th, 2024

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

It's up to the chair to decide.

Chair, how are you managing time? Do I get to do full answers?

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

It's similar to how we managed it last time. The time in which the question is asked is the time you will have to respond. Mr. Barrett asked you where you were on September—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Sixth....

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Answer the question.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I was in Edmonton, and I travelled to Vancouver in the morning.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Were you at the Liberal cabinet retreat?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I arrived in the morning, Vancouver time. The cabinet retreat started in the evening of September 6.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Okay.

You spoke on the phone that day to your business partner, Stephen Anderson. Is that correct?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, I have a timeline that I would like to share with this committee. It will answer Mr. Barrett's question.

There was a one-minute phone call that followed a text I received from Purolator—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

It's a yes-or-no question.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

—asking for an account to be settled. I texted Mr. Anderson. He called me back. We had a one-minute phone call about this issue, and then I sent the text to him.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

You called and texted Mr. Anderson that day, yes or no?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I did not call him. He called me.

I texted him to let him know that I had an account—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Okay. You spoke to him on the telephone that day—

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Go ahead, Mr. Barrett.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Okay. We've established that you spoke to to him on the phone and you exchanged text messages with him on the date of September 6.

I want to refer you to a statement from your staff in regard to this matter. It said it wouldn't have been possible on the 8th of September because you were at a cabinet retreat in Vancouver and had no access to any electronic devices. You were also at a cabinet retreat on the 6th of September, 2022, and of course you had access to your devices that day, as you did on the 8th. Is that not true?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

That is not true. During the 7th and 8th, during cabinet meetings during the day, our devices are locked up in lockboxes. On the 6th, there were no cabinet meetings during the day, and I can tell you the time, Mr. Barrett. The time that I got the voice mail to transcription was 11:28 a.m.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

On the 6th—

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

The conversation with Mr. Anderson took place at 11:29 and lasted for one minute.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Brassard]

Mr. Barrett, ask your question, please.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

On the 6th and 8th, did you have access to electronic devices during the day at all?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

On the 7th or the 8th?

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

On the 6th or the 8th, did you at any time have access to your electronic devices, yes or no?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

I had access to my electronic devices when I was not in confidential cabinet meetings, yes.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

You were in Vancouver on the phone with your discredited business partner, Stephen Anderson. We have text messages from Mr. Anderson to a client that your company ripped off.

Those text messages say, “I have Randy and them I need to update. Asking as west coast is closing in 7 min”—you were on the west coast—“and Randy is in the Vancouver office.”

You're the Randy that was on the west coast in Vancouver. Isn't that right?