
Boissonnault’s former business partner claims autocorrect to blame for ‘Randy’ text messages
Global News
MPs on House of Commons ethics committee left in disbelief after Stephen Anderson said repeated references to 'Randy' were not in reference to Boissonnault.
Liberal cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault’s former business partner stunned MPs Wednesday by claiming multiple text messages referring to business dealings with “Randy” were the result of an autocorrect error.
The House of Commons’ ethics committee is probing Boissonnault’s relationship with Global Health Imports (GHI), a company he co-founded with Edmonton entrepreneur Stephen Anderson before he was re-elected as a Liberal MP in 2021.
Global News reported that Anderson allegedly sent a series of text messages referring to a partner named “Randy” in September 2022 – after Boissonnault was sworn in as a Liberal cabinet minister, and a year after he said he “ceased active involvement” with the company.
Boissonnault held shares in GHI, which he was legally allowed to do, until disposing of them two weeks ago.
Conflict of interest laws prohibited elected officials from operating or managing private businesses while in office.
A series of text messages from Anderson between Sept. 6 and Sept. 8, 2022, reference a business partner named “Randy” working with GHI, and suggested that “Randy” was working out of a Vancouver office on that day.
“With regards to the infamous text message featured by a Global News story, the other Randy, I hope members of the committee can understand that this was an unfortunate autocorrect suggestion,” Anderson told MPs.
Opposition MPs were not buying Anderson’s autocorrect explanation, at times openly accusing him of lying and laughing during his testimony.