A federal cabinet minister, Randy Boissonnault, co-founded a medical supply company called Global Health Imports Corporation (GHI) after losing the 2019 election. He remained listed as a director of GHI while competing for provincial and municipal contracts, in violation of federal conflict of interest laws. GHI outbid multinational companies on pandemic contracts and won at least $8.2 million in contracts. Boissonnault claims he has had no role in GHI since being elected and receives no income from it, but he retained his 50 percent stake in the company.
Documents show that GHI has faced multiple lawsuits over unpaid bills and unfulfilled deliveries, resulting in Alberta courts ordering the company to pay more than $7.8 million to suppliers and buyers. Boissonnault is not named in any of the lawsuits, but questions have been raised about how a small enterprise like GHI was able to secure contracts during a time of high demand in the personal protective equipment (PPE) sector. Boissonnault only removed himself as director of GHI in the federal registry in March 2023, over 16 months after being appointed to cabinet.
Industry experts believe that Boissonnault’s continued association with GHI in public records could lead government officials at municipal or provincial levels to believe that awarding contracts to GHI might be advantageous. They suggest that his ties to the company could create a conflict of interest. As a result, calls have been made for the ethics commissioner to investigate Boissonnault under the Conflict of Interest Act. Boissonnault claims that he informed his co-founder to update the business registries, but due to inaction, he had to initiate the process himself through his lawyer in 2023.
Global Health Imports faced legal troubles from the start, with suppliers suing the company for unpaid bills in 2021. Despite this, the company was able to secure an $8.2 million contract with the Quebec government in 2022 to supply sanitary wipes. Established businesses in the PPE sector questioned how GHI, a two-person startup, was able to compete against established multinational companies for government tenders. GHI continues to bid on contracts even as legal troubles mount and lawsuits are filed by multiple companies.
Canadian businesses, like Vereburn Medical Supply, have been adversely affected by GHI’s unpaid bills. Vereburn won a default judgment against GHI for $79,600, and its president expressed concern over Boissonnault’s association with the company and the impact it has had. Despite winning their case, Vereburn has not received the money owed to them. Boissonnault’s involvement with GHI has raised questions about whether politically connected enterprises were more likely to receive lucrative pandemic contracts at the federal level.
Global Health Imports’ questionable business practices, such as reselling products from established suppliers and listing products at unusually low prices, have raised concerns. The company’s COO, Stephen Anderson, led a lavish lifestyle on social media, raising further questions about the company’s operations. Boissonnault’s involvement with GHI was not widely known, and there were errors and omissions in his public disclosures to the federal Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. With ongoing legal troubles and questions about contract awards to GHI, calls have been made for further investigation into Boissonnault’s actions and potential conflicts of interest.
