SLOBODIAN: Time to fire Chief 2-Spirits White Powder (Randy)

Innocent until proven guilty. But c’mon! The serious allegations swirling around Liberal Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault — and the putative 'Other Randy' identified by the Conservatives — keep on coming so fast, it’s hard to keep up.Until the allegations involving lies, corruption and being connected to people accused of fraud and prosecuted for nefarious dealings like cocaine smuggling are proven false — or not — the Edmonton MP Boissonnault should step aside.Or perhaps even resign, as Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre demanded in the House of Commons Monday.But, Boissonnault maintains his innocence on all counts.Meanwhile despite the mounting serious allegations — and to nobody's surprise — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau still has the Alberta Liberal MP's back.“Minister Boissonnault has addressed these [allegations] and will continue to answer directly for those,” Trudeau told reporters accompanying him on the G20 leaders summit in Brazil..But what exactly has Chief 2-Spirits White Powder addressed?Boissonnault has said he’s no longer involved with Global Health Imports (GHI,) a medical supply company he founded in early 2020 with Stephen Anderson who is facing numerous lawsuits involving allegations of fraud. Boissonnault isn’t named in the lawsuits.He said he resigned from GHI when he was re-elected MP for Edmonton Center in 2021 and has nothing to do with the business. His 50% stake has been placed in a holding company, as required by law.But now he’s under the Conservative microscope for his alleged involvement — in contravention to the Conflict of Interest Act — in GHI’s operations since becoming a cabinet minister.He denied being the "Other Randy" involved in text messages discovered by Global News between Anderson and Malvina Ghaoui, the principal of California-based The Ghaoui Group.A wire transfer of about $500,000 for a shipment of nitrile gloves was discussed.Boissonnault maintained “that person is not me.” He had no idea who that is. But the mysterious "Other Randy", last name unknown, is yet to manifest himself.The Conservatives graciously offered a simple solution to help Boissonnault clear his name on that one.They filed a motion Monday requesting that the “Other Randy” as they mockingly refer to the mystery texter, and Anderson, be summoned to testify before a parliamentary ethics committee by June 18.Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett did say it “stretches reason and belief” to suggest Boissonnault doesn’t know the last name of the "Other Randy" employed by Randy's GHI. You’d think Boissonnault would be tripping all over himself to hunt that “Other Randy” down and haul him in to testify.But wait, there’s more. Chief Randy just wasn’t “clear” about his indigenous history — the claims kept shifting — while GHI bid on federal contracts meant for indigenous-owned companies. Did he not notice that Anderson billed GHI as a “wholly Indigenous-owned” company? Was he really confused about his own disputed indigenous background?Meanwhile, GHI shared a UPS post office box in Edmonton with a woman convicted of two drug busts, the National Post reported Monday.“Minister Boissonnault linked to a woman involved in a drug smuggling ring caught with 200 kilograms of cocaine,” alleged St. Albert-Edmonton Conservative MP Michael Cooper Monday. A company sharing a post office box with a cocaine queen is nothing to snort at.The post office box appears on the April 2020 licence for GHI.“The mailbox is also listed on a different company’s registration document as the home address for Francheska Leblond, a woman who has been named in run-ins with police since at least 2008, according to Alberta Court of Justice records,” reported the Post. She also went by the name Francheska Quach.The box has been rented by Francheska Leblond since 2013 and GHI’s name isn’t on the agreement, but GHI’s mail sometimes arrived at the mailbox.Overall, that’s a lot of troubling controversy stalking a cabinet minister.But Trudeau insisted he’s “happy” that Boissonnault is “continuing to lead on issues around jobs and employment and represent Alberta in our government.”See, he explained himself — declaring a whole lot of non-involvement and ignorance about a whole lot of things. But if he’s that ignorant about his own affairs, how can we expect him to handle ours?So, Boissonnault will be allowed to carry on merrily speaking in the House.In Trudeauland these allegations levelled at Chief 2-Spirits White Powder apparently pale in comparison to the terrible sin Poilievre committed when he was temporarily banned by House Speaker Greg Fergus from speaking in the House on October 8.Poilievre asked the Liberals to condemn “genocidal chants from hateful mobs in our streets.”Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly wouldn’t do that and instead switched gears.Poilievre accused her of “gaslighting” and “pandering to supporters of terrorist organizations like Hamas,” then refused to withdraw his comment and was punished.But no need for Boissonnault to be silenced, said Trudeau.Or is there? Poilievre simplified it.“(Boissonnault) first denied he and his company were profiting off government business, and then text messages showed the contrary, referring to ‘a Randy’ — well he claimed it was another Randy. “We now know there is no other Randy.”“We now know he falsely claimed to be indigenous so his company can steal resources meant for real indigenous people.”“Now, his company address matches the address that was the location of two cocaine busts. Anyone of these things would be a resigning offence. Why won't he resign now?”Again, Boissonnault claimed to not know the "Other Randy".“The person he doesn't know...is himself!” said Poilievre.Enough of the Liberal games.Call an election already.

SLOBODIAN: Time to fire Chief 2-Spirits White Powder (Randy)

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