Former cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault says he will not run again in the upcoming federal election, set to be called on Sunday.
The Liberal party had confirmed Boissonnault as a candidate in Edmonton Centre, a riding he won in 2015, lost in 2019, then reclaimed in 2021.
In a statement posted to X Friday night, the former cabinet minister says the past year had been a difficult one for he and his family.
Boissonnault resigned from cabinet in November amid controversy over his business dealings and skepticism about his claims of Indigenous identity.
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The allegations made against him, which surfaced in a series of stories by Global News, involve Boissonnault’s former business Global Health Imports (GHI), co-founded with Stephen Anderson in early 2020 after Boissonnault lost his seat in the 2019 election.
The move to not run again is sure to further fuel speculation about where Prime Minister Mark Carney will run, who grew up in Edmonton and skated with his beloved Oilers hockey team on Thursday.
Pressed by reporters leaving the first ministers meeting in Ottawa on Friday, Carney wouldn’t reveal which riding he’ll seek election.
Other ridings he is believed to be considering are the Toronto Centre riding being vacated by former cabinet minister Marci Ien and the Nepean riding in Ottawa, freed up by the Liberals’ decision to oust MP Chandra Arya from the ballot on Thursday.
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