After announcing his resignation from the House of Commons, Liberal MP Shaun Chen faced online accusations of violating House rules by voting on legislation while in China earlier this year. These claims, bolstered by right-wing influencers and some current and former Conservative MPs, stem from videos posted on WeChat showing Chen in China.
One post from independent journalist Andy Lee highlighted a video of Chen eating ice cream in China on March 25, the same day he allegedly voted six times in the House of Commons. Concerns were raised about potential national security breaches if Chen voted remotely from China.
Conservative MP John Barlow shared a thread questioning Chen’s travel activities, emphasizing the need for answers on the matter. Barlow referenced the House of Commons standing orders which prohibit MPs from voting outside Canada.
Allegations suggested Chen voted on the contentious hate crime legislation, Bill C-9, while in China. While acknowledging the possibility of manipulated video timestamps, Lee stressed the importance of investigating whether Chen voted from China.
According to House rules, MPs cannot participate in House votes while outside the country. Additionally, electronic votes are allowed only within Canada, as per the House of Commons standing orders. These orders mandate visual confirmation of a member’s identity through facial recognition technology when casting votes.
The Speaker’s office affirmed the existence of technical and human validation processes to ensure MPs vote from within Canada, in compliance with security and technology policies. Chen’s office clarified that he returned to Canada on March 23 after his trip to China from March 14 to 22, presenting evidence of his flight itinerary and visa stamps.
Chen’s office stated that due to health issues stemming from a previous accident, he decided to step down, as traveling to Ottawa regularly was challenging. The trip to China was part of official parliamentary business with the Canada-China Legislative Association.
Critics, including Lee, questioned Chen’s ability to travel to China but not to Ottawa, prompting scrutiny of his health condition and travel decisions. The trip to China was sponsored by the Hakka Canadian Association, chaired by Markham Coun. Joe Li, with cybersecurity precautions taken during Chen’s travel.
Public disclosure by the Office of Canada’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner detailed Chen’s trip, mentioning his stay from March 14 to 22. The disclosure included information on accommodations and sponsorship for the trip.