OTTAWA — The federal government has suspended contracting with the medical supplies firm co-founded by non-Indigenous Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault following revelations that it bid on government contracts while claiming to be “wholly” Indigenous-owned.
In a statement, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) announced that it had temporarily suspended Global Health Imports Corporation (GHI), which was co-founded by Boissonnault and his ex-business partner Stephen Anderson in early 2020, from bidding or receiving federal contracts while it investigated the firm.
The suspension comes two weeks after the National Post revealed Thursday that GHI had twice bid for federal government medical supply contracts in 2020 while declaring itself “a wholly owned Indigenous and LGBTQ Company” and “Aboriginal.” Yet around that time, Boissonnault said in an interview that he was “white” after mentioning repeatedly for years in the House of Commons that he was “non-status adopted Cree”.
Last week, Boissonnault resigned from cabinet over shifting statements about his connections to Indigenous ancestry over his political career as well as growing controversy over GHI and his former business partner Anderson.
“The suspension will last for a period of 90 days and may be extended as necessary until a final decision regarding the supplier’s status under the Ineligibility and Suspension Policy is rendered,” the department said.
The statement says GHI only has one active contract, with Elections Canada. The agency issued a “full stop-work” order to GHI on Nov. 20, the same day Boissonnault resigned from cabinet.
“Elections Canada has confirmed that no deliverables have been received and no payments have been made against the contract,” reads PSPC’s statement, which notes that the contract did not include an “Indigenous set-aside requirement.”
More to come.
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