A Trudeau cabinet minister is subject to further controversy over shifting claims of Indigenous heritage to win federal contracts.
Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault initially claimed he was “non-status adoptive Cree,” only to say his adoptive mother is “status Métis.”
A spokesperson for the minister attributed the change in status to “his family exploring their own history” rather than him claiming Indigenous status for financial reasons.
Boissonnault’s shifting identity garnered media attention last week after reports his former company, Global Health Imports (GHI), bid on two federal contracts that were set aside for Indigenous entrepreneurs.
The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) says the changing story furthers doubt on claims of being Indigenous-owned.
“The fact remains he attempted to access an Indigenous [procurement] program by claiming himself Indigenous. If he was successful would have benefitted,” said Shannin Metatawabin, CEO of the NACCA.
“All bad actors deserve to be penalized severely to deter and [should be] barred from participating in future opportunities,” he added.
The MP for Edmonton attempted to clarify his heritage on Friday, only to sow further doubt by noting his adopted family were “status Métis.” Boissonnault’s statement made no mention of his Cree heritage.
“I myself do not have status,” he said, making reference to his time as an “ally” to the Indigenous Liberal caucus.
Boissonnault referenced his adoptive Cree great-grandmother five times up until 2019 in the House of Commons, when he served the caucus.
Alice Hansen, Boissonnault’s spokesperson, told the National Post that mentions of being “adopted Cree” came in 2016 and 2018 following an explanation of his adoptive family’s history “at the time.”
“It is not the Minister claiming Indigenous status or that he has lived the experiences of Indigenous people, which he has never done,” Hansen wrote in an emailed statement.
“Adopted individuals can be recognized as eligible for Indigenous status or Metis citizenship,” she clarified, noting the minister has consistently used “non-status adoptive” to describe his heritage.
Several Indigenous experts appeared perplexed by Boissonnault’s changing claims, with one person calling it “shocking” and “really hurtful.”
“For people who were forcibly adopted and removed in the Sixties Scoop, and the amount of work that they have to do, to find their families and reconnect with their communities, it’s really a slap in the face,” said Merelda Fiddler-Potter, an assistant professor at First Nations University of Canada and a member of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan.
“This is the kind of stuff that’s so hurtful to them,” she added.
Conservative MPs, meanwhile, have called for Boissonnault’s removal from cabinet over the controversy.
“It’s highly suspicious at best. But at worst, it’s fraud,” Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett told the Commons ethics committee Thursday. His colleague Michael Cooper said Boissonneault has “no place sitting in cabinet.”
“The minister is a fraud. He is a disgrace. He needs to go and he needs to go now,” continued Cooper.
Spokesperson Hansen defended the minister on Tuesday, claiming he has “accurately” portrayed himself and his family history in recent years.
However, she lambasted Stephen Anderson, Boissonnault’s former business partner, for making claims about the minister and GHI without his explicit approval.
“There is no record of Minister Boissonnault ever having claimed GHI as an Indigenous company, nor would he,” she wrote.
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.