The federal contract Elections Canada awarded to cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault’s former medical supply company was not posted publicly for seven months due to an “internal error,” the government agency told Global News.to supply Elections Canada with disposable gloves. At the time the contract was inked, Boissonnault, who is Canada’s employment minister, held a 50 per cent stake in the company.
“There should be a full investigation into whether Minister Boissonnault benefited from his business that continues to be embroiled in scandals and the Minister should be held accountable,” Barrett said. “The contract was not posted within the usual timeline due to an internal error. It was posted in the subsequent quarterly release,” Elections Canada’s media relations staff said in an email.
While Boissonnault stepped away from the company in fall of 2021, he remained a major shareholder in GHI until late June. Ministers are allowed to hold shares in private companies, but they must not manage or operate the business. Boissonnault’s director of communications, Alice Hansen, said in a statement last month that the exemption should apply because Boissonnault “has no oversight of or control over” Elections Canada or its contracts.