Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
In a statement issued just before question period, Trudeau's office said the prime minister and Boissonnault "have agreed that Mr. Boissonnault will step away from Cabinet effective immediately.”
“Mr. Boissonnault will focus on clearing the allegations made against him,” according to the statement.
Boissonnault has been under the microscope for months, from the House Ethics Committee's scrutiny on his former medical supply business partner's texts and subsequent probing around "the real Randy," to revisions of his past Indigenous identity claims after federal contract bids surfaced.
The criticisms of Boissonnault and calls for him to resign came to a boil this week, after the National Post reported his previous claim that his great-grandmother was Cree was untrue. Meanwhile, Boissonnault said that upon re-election, he cut ties with the company he co-founded — an assertion that’s been in question since last spring — but he’s now facing new scrutiny about the company claiming to be “Indigenous-owned” when bidding on federal contracts.
The announcement that Boissonnault is stepping down from cabinet comes after Trudeau insisted just yesterday that his only Alberta minister still has a place on the federal Liberals’ front bench.
Veterans Affairs Minister and associate defence minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor will temporarily assume Boissonnault’s responsibilities as minister of employment, workforce development and official languages.
NDP MP Don Davies told reporters on Parliament Hill Wednesday, following the news Boissonnault is quitting cabinet, that he’s “really gratified,” and that it was an “overdue decision.”
“The amount of ethical breaches of Mr. Boissonnault, if that doesn't disentangle you from cabinet, I don't know what does,” Davies said.
He also said the delay in making the decision to oust Boissonnault “speaks to a lack of a strong ethical compass by the prime minister,” considering the growing number of allegations of wrongdoing directed at him.
“An MP is a bit of a different matter,” he also said, when asked whether Boissonnault should stay on as a member of parliament. “I think that's up to the voters of his riding.”
Earlier today, heading into a Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill, MP after MP largely didn't comment, or said it wasn't for them to answer questions about whether Boissonnault should resign or be removed from cabinet.
"That's a decision for the prime minister," said Housing Minister Sean Fraser. "I think anytime there's questions about an individual who might actually have the context behind the story, the person closest to it is best positioned… I don't really have any personal information."
Jaime Battiste, chair of the Liberal Indigenous caucus echoed this, stating it was "a decision for the prime minister, not me."
Battiste didn't answer when asked if he wanted Boissonnault to stay.
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said he thinks Boissonnault has "been answering all these questions in the House of Commons, and he's been very clear on his position."
"So, we're going to be working with him," he said.
Others said they consider Boissonnault a professional in his duties and capable of speaking for himself.
"A lot of the questions that you have are about Randy, so therefore they should go to Randy… It's all up to him to stand up and give us the answers that you're requiring," said Liberal MP Vance Badawey. "I'm sure Randy can answer."
A member of the Indigenous caucus, Badawey said he doesn't think the controversy takes away from that group's work, and that he "absolutely" can stay on as a cabinet minister.
"He's a big boy. He's got his big boy pants on. I'm sure he can answer," he said.
Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal said his colleague "has always been a great ally to Indigenous caucus since I've been here in 2015."
"I appreciate Randy as a colleague. He's worked very, very hard for Canadians," said Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon.
Both the Conservatives and New Democrats, meanwhile, have been calling for Boissonnault to quit, or be fired.
"It's not just fraud cases that are before the courts, now there is a criminal investigation by the Edmonton police service… So, some deep reflection is needed by the prime minister and by the Liberal caucus on why it is that Randy Boissonnault is being permitted to stay in their cabinet, and I would say, to stay in their caucus," said Conservative MP Michael Barrett on his way into Wednesday's meeting of the Official Opposition caucus.
In an email to CTV News, the Edmonton Police Service said it "received a complaint regarding a fraud involving a local medical supply company" in July, and "this investigation remains active at this time."
The police force also said the information received in July was "not sufficient" to re-open a separate investigation related to a report "regarding an alleged fraud involving an Edmonton medical supply company" made in March, and that investigation "remains suspended pending new information."
Boissonnault was not seen heading into Wednesday's meeting of Liberal MPs, nor was he in question period. CTV News has requested an interview with him.