Randy Boissonault is shown as a member of the Liberal Party's Indigenous Caucus. Photo: LPC
A move by former federal Employment minister Randy Boissonault to clear his name is raising some eyebrows.
The Edmonton MP resigned from the Liberal Cabinet two weeks ago amid conflicting claims about his Indigenous heritage.
There have been weeks of media coverage about the controversy on which Boissonnault released his first public statement last week.
However, members of his Edmonton office took issue with APTN News’ Dec. 5 online story.
Specifically, they challenged APTN reporting that Boissonault “has always been touted as an Indigenous member” of government, citing his membership in the party’s Indigenous caucus, which is reserved for First Nations, Inuit and Métis politicians.
The staffers said via email and phone that Boissonault joined the caucus as “an ally”.
They said the Liberal party made a mistake in declaring Boissonault an Indigenous member of government and APTN did, too. They said they were calling out other media outlets as well.
It’s an approach some political scientists find odd.
“It stretches the imagination that someone would challenge a journalist and say, ‘Show us proof that the federal Liberals have been boasting about him being one of their Indigenous members of caucus,’” said Chris Adams, a political scientist from the University of Manitoba.
“It’s quite common to see the political parties boasting about Indigenous people as part of their campaign team, and then when they’re elected.”
Boissonault has said he is “non-status adopted Cree” but recently confirmed he “is not Indigenous.”
APTN declined to change its story and requested an interview with Boissonault. It did not receive a response.
Ken Coates, a political science professor at the University of Saskatchewan, suggested Boissonault’s people were trying to change the narrative.
“It’s a deliberate attempt to try to resurrect what’s left of his career,” Coates said in an interview.
“He’s in a bad enough shape being a Liberal in western Canada going into the next election.”
Kelly Saunders, chair of the political science department at Brandon University, was surprised by the strategy.
“It’s not a very smart one,” she said.
“Quite frankly, I would expect that maybe more from a Conservative party. You know, challenging the media, and the objectivity and neutrality of the media.”
‘That’s not a thing’
Daryl Leroux, an assistant professor in political studies at the University of Ottawa, said the Liberal Indigenous caucus “was never a space for allies.”
He feels this is something that was made up to help Boissonault save face.
“(That he was an ally) never came up on that list (the party) were proudly sharing and saying they had the most Indigenous MPs ever … there was never a suggestion that the caucus had allies.
“So, when I saw it come up in (Boissonault’s public) statement, I was like ‘What?’ That’s not a thing.”
Adams, who has written extensively about Indigenous representation and turnout during elections, viewed contacting reporters as a form of damage control.
“I suspect they’re in terrible circumstances in his office,” he said in an interview. “I mean, to lose your Cabinet post. He won’t be re-elected in the next election.”
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But Conservative MPs aren’t waiting until then. They continue to call for Boissonault to step down as critics ramp up questions about his ancestry and whether he wrongly promoted his company as being Indigenous-owned.
Coates said it’s a bad look to be associated with the recent raft of “Pretendian” scandals across the country. Authors, filmmakers, musicians and academics have been exposed for making false claims of being Indigenous.
Saunders says it shows how far the Liberals have fallen since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared Indigenous issues his most important file in 2015.
“I think this is seriously undermining that,” she said in an interview.
