Canadian Cabinet minister steps down as his claim of Indigenous identity is disputed

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that his employment minister is leaving his post after weeks of questions about his past claims of Indigenous identity. Trudeau said in a statement Wednesday that Randy Boissonnault would step away from his Cabinet position immediately to “focus on clearing the allegations made against him.” Boissonnault came under scrutiny after the National Post newspaper raised questions about whether he had any Indigenous heritage. The newspaper reported that a company he co-owned had applied for government contracts while claiming to be Indigenous-owned.