Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Shaun Chen faced accusations of violating House rules by voting on legislation while in China earlier this year after announcing his resignation from the House of Commons. The claims, primarily fueled by right-wing influencers and some current and former Conservative MPs, are centered on videos posted on WeChat showing Chen in China.
One post by independent journalist Andy Lee highlighted a video of Chen enjoying ice cream in China on March 25th, the same day he allegedly voted electronically six times in the House of Commons. Concerns were raised about potential national security breaches if Chen voted remotely while in China.
Conservative MP John Barlow raised further questions, emphasizing that the issue extended beyond a simple trip to China. He cited House of Commons standing orders, which explicitly prohibit MPs from voting while outside Canada.
The controversy revolves around Chen allegedly voting on the government’s contentious hate crime legislation, Bill C-9, while in China. Despite suggestions that the WeChat videos could have been edited and posted post-trip, doubts persisted regarding Chen’s voting location.
According to House rules, MPs are not allowed to participate in House votes from outside the country. The regulations specify that electronic votes must be cast within Canada, and a member’s identity is visually confirmed using facial recognition technology.
The Speaker’s office confirmed the existence of technical controls and human validation processes to ensure MPs are physically in Canada when casting their votes. Chen’s office clarified that he returned to Canada on March 23 following his trip to China, presenting evidence such as his boarding pass and visa stamps in his passport to support this.
Chen’s office attributed his resignation to significant health issues affecting his ability to travel regularly to Ottawa. The trip to China was part of official parliamentary business with the Canada-China Legislative Association, sponsored by the Hakka Canadian Association.
Critics, including Lee, questioned the inconsistency of Chen’s ability to travel to China but not to Ottawa. The trip’s cybersecurity risks were acknowledged, with emails showing coordination with House of Commons IT staff for the use of loaned devices during the trip.
The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner disclosed details of Chen’s trip, which was organized by the Hakka Canadian Association and involved a week-long stay in hotels. Chen plans to step down from his post next month following a vehicle accident last fall during his commute between Toronto and Ottawa.
