After announcing his intention to step down from his position in the House of Commons, Liberal MP Shaun Chen faced allegations online that he had violated House rules by participating in voting activities while in China earlier this year. The accusations were circulated by various right-wing influencers, as well as a small group of current and former Conservative MPs, who pointed to videos shared on WeChat, a popular Chinese social media platform, that appeared to show Chen in China.
One post from independent journalist Andy Lee highlighted a video of Chen enjoying ice cream in China on March 25, the same day he allegedly voted electronically six times in the House of Commons. Concerns were raised about the potential breach of national security if Chen had indeed voted while outside of Canada.
Conservative MP John Barlow echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that there were significant unanswered questions surrounding Chen’s travel and voting activities. Barlow referenced the House of Commons standing orders, which explicitly forbid MPs from voting while abroad.
It was alleged in these posts that Chen had participated in the voting on Bill C-9, the government’s contentious hate crime legislation, while he was in China. Although there were suggestions that the WeChat videos may have been edited and posted after the trip, doubts persisted regarding Chen’s voting location.
According to the House of Commons standing orders, MPs are prohibited from casting votes while outside of the country. The rules specify that electronic votes must be cast within Canada, and members’ identities are verified visually through facial recognition technology.
The Speaker’s office confirmed that stringent technical controls and validation processes are in place to ensure MPs are physically present in Canada when they vote. Chen’s office clarified that he was in China from March 14 to March 22, returning to Canada for the House of Commons session on March 23 after the spring recess.
Documentation provided by Chen’s office, including his boarding pass and visa stamps, supported his claim that he did not participate in voting activities from outside Canada. Chen cited health issues as the reason for his resignation, noting that his travel to Ottawa had been limited due to these concerns.
Critics, including Andy Lee, raised questions about Chen’s ability to travel to China despite his reported health issues preventing frequent trips to Ottawa. The trip to China was organized by the Hakka Canadian Association, with cybersecurity precautions taken for Chen’s communication devices during the visit.
The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner’s public disclosure included details of Chen’s trip to China, which was sponsored by the Hakka Canadian Association for a specified duration. Chen asserted that the trip was conducted for official parliamentary business and marked his first visit to China since May 2019.